AI shape search uncovers hidden human protein TM184C

Researchers at the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center used artificial intelligence to compare the predicted structures of more than 214 million proteins, searching by form rather than genetic sequence, and reported finding previously unexplored members of the G protein-coupled receptor family. The study, published in Nature, centers on TM184C, which the team found largely inside intracellular vesicles that travel along microtubules and gather in thin projections connecting neighboring cells. Disrupting TM184C reduced those connections and altered vesicle organization. A yeast counterpart, Hfl1, showed similar behavior, and adding the human protein corrected defects in yeast lacking it. The authors say the work points to a layer of biology missed by sequence-based searches.