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Concept

Proton-sensing GPCRs

A detailed illustration of a virus-like structure with red and gray protrusions, featuring a central gold-colored sphere surrounded by six transparent, star-shaped elements, symbolizing proton-sensing GPCRs.

A small family of G-protein coupled receptors — including GPR4, GPR65 and GPR68 — identified in the early 2000s as cell-surface sensors of extracellular pH. They are activated as the surrounding medium becomes more acidic, triggering signalling cascades inside the cell. Their roles in inflammation, tumour biology and kidney function are an active research area, but their physiological function in healthy tissue remains genuinely unsettled.

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