Receptor Guanylyl Cyclase Family

Guanylyl cyclase, also termed guanylate cyclase or guanyl cyclase，are classified into two groups: receptor guanylyl cyclase (also called membrane or receptor-type GC) and soluble guanylyl cyclase. Receptor guanylyl cyclase are type-1 transmembrane receptors, comprising of cell-surface domains that function as neuropeptide receptors, a single transmembrane domain and intracellular domains that contain guanylyl cyclase catalytic activity. Ligands bind to their receptor and consequently activate the receptor domain, leading to activation of the catalytic domain. There are seven subtypes of transmembrane GC (GC-A through GC-G) have been identified. The presence of the extracellular domain suggests that all these guanylyl cyclase interaction with specific ligands, but such ligands have been found for only three of the membrane forms (GC-A through GC-C), with the remaining four forms presumed as orphan receptors. Receptor guanylyl cyclase play a crucial role in various important physiological and sensory processes, including blood pressure regulation, cell growth, intestinal electrolyte and water transport as well as vision and olfaction.