biology

GPR156

GPR156 is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GPR156 rather than just read about it. In short: GPR156 (G protein-coupled receptor 156), is a human gene which encodes a G protein-coupled receptor belonging to metabotropic glutamate receptor subfamily. By sequence homology, this gene was proposed as being a possible GABAB receptor subunit; however, when expressed in cells alone or with other GABAB subunits, no response to GABAB ligands could be detected.

Key takeaways

GPR156 belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect GPR156 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of GPR156 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

GPR156 (G protein-coupled receptor 156), is a human gene which encodes a G protein-coupled receptor belonging to metabotropic glutamate receptor subfamily. By sequence homology, this gene was proposed as being a possible GABAB receptor subunit; however, when expressed in cells alone or with other GABAB subunits, no response to GABAB ligands could be detected. In vitro studies on GPR156 constitutive activity revealed a high level of basal activation and coupling with members of the Gi/Go heterotrimeric G protein family. In 2021, an article was reported that GPR156 modulates hair cell orientation in the cochlea. Also, it was proposed that GPR156 is related to congenital hearing loss. GPR156 in complex with any of the Gi/o heterotrimers regulates the hair cell orientation. In 2024, molecular structures of G-free and Go-bound GPR156 were characterized by using cryogenic electron microscopy.

Structure Among class C GPCR family members, GPR156 is unique because it lacks a large extracellular domain. Structural analyses revealed that the asymmetric binding of Go-protein to GPR156 triggers conformational change of its cytoplasmic face without altering dimer interface. Although the inactive class C GPCRs undergo rearrangement of their dimeric interface, the agonist- and/or the positive allosteric modulator-bound class C GPCRs retain their dimeric interface upon G-protein binding. Thus, the G-free GPR156 is likely to represent an active state. Structural and functional analyses suggest that abundant endogenous phospholipids, receptor dimerization, and the G-protein binding-induced conformational change of the cytoplasmic face are the primary reasons for constitutive activation of GPR156. Phosphatidylglycerol further stimulates the activity of GPR156, which suggests the environmental changes of the phospholipid composition may regulate the GPR156 activity.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GPR156

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GPR156 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GPR156 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GPR156 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GPR156

In research: GPR156 appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses GPR156 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: GPR156 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics G protein-coupled receptors, Genes on human chromosome 3, Transmembrane receptor stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for GPR156 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GPR156 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what GPR156 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain GPR156 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GPR156 in simple terms?

Why does GPR156 matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GPR156?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GPR156.