Adhesion GPCRs

Adhesion GPCRs form Class B2 of the GPCR superfamily and are defined by a large extracellular N-terminal region plus a conserved GAIN domain, which in many members carries out autoproteolysis and stows a tethered agonist peptide. The 33 human members, named ADGRs (for example ADGRG1/GPR56 and ADGRF1/GPR110), often bind extracellular matrix or cell-surface ligands such as collagen and transduce contact-dependent mechanical or migratory cues. They activate G12/13, Gq and other G proteins and govern neural development, myelination, angiogenesis and tissue polarity. Loss-of-function mutations in ADGRG1 cause bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria, a severe cortical malformation, exemplifying the subfamily's developmental importance.