VIB identifies food recognition transceptor

Researchers from Belgium's Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) have discovered a new mechanism through which cells detect nutrients,  which is similar to how they respond to hormone molecules.

A team of scientists led by Griet Van Zeebroeck has shown, for the first  time, how a transceptor called Gap1 sends the cell a signal that food is  present. The transport protein apparently uses the same binding site to  recognize the food that it uses to grasp the food for transport.

According to the researchers, the findings could have important  implications for the development of medicines. About half of all  medicines are transmitted to cells via receptors, because receptors are  located on the cells' exterior surface and are therefore the best  targets for medicines. If these newly-discovered transceptors are also  found in humans, then an unexpected new group of candidate targets for  medicines becomes available - offering promising possibilities for the  treatment of metabolic diseases.