As a primary category of current drug targets, transmembrane proteins play a crucial role in human life activities. The Binding Domain team is dedicated to studying the functions of transmembrane proteins from a structural biology perspective. AlphaFold2 allows for high-precision structural predictions of transmembrane proteins, making it possible to obtain vast amounts of structural information. Similarly, we leverage the known extensive binding information of transmembrane proteins and employ deep learning to conduct comprehensive and in-depth research on the diverse binding interactions of these proteins.

Our research team has proposed the concept of the binding domain, aiming to use deep learning to uncover the general patterns of transmembrane protein interactions and extend these patterns to diverse binding modes of transmembrane proteins. Our research can identify binding regions on the surface of drug-target transmembrane proteins, contributing to a deeper understanding of the diversity and competitive factors in interactions with various binders. This, in turn, aids in exploring new drugs and their corresponding mechanisms of action. Not only does this enhance the broad understanding of drug-target interactions and their functional outcomes, but it also fills current knowledge gaps in the signaling pathways of drug-target transmembrane proteins in live cellular environments. This research is of significant importance for various drug development tasks and helps deepen the understanding of transmembrane biological mechanisms.

Overall, our research on transmembrane proteins can facilitate the discovery of new targets and enhance the understanding of drug signaling, thereby supporting drug development and finding new applications for existing drugs, ultimately contributing to the pharmaceutical industry.