Meritxell Canals Buj

Contact

• workRoom C101a The University of Nottingham Medical School
  Queen's Medical Centre
  Nottingham
  NG7 2UH
  UK
• work0115 82 30467
• M.Canals@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Meritxell Canals joined the University of Nottingham in October 2018 as a Professor of Cellular Pharmacology at the School of Life Sciences. Her research interests focus on understanding the interactions between G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and intracellular proteins, and their consequences for receptor signalling and trafficking.

Meritxell did her PhD in biochemistry at the University of Barcelona, Spain and at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Her PhD was part of a EU-funded multidisciplinary project that examined the interactions between adenosine and dopamine receptors in Parkinson's Disease. During her PhD, Meritxell obtained scholarships to visit the laboratories of Prof M Bouvier (pioneer in the application of BRET to GPCRs; Montreal, Canada) and Prof R Pepperkok (a leader in the development of FRET; EMBL, Germany). Dr Canals completed postdoctoral training in a series of leading pharmacology groups. In the laboratory of Prof G Milligan in Glasgow, (2005-2008) she focused on the functional consequences of GPCR co-expression and oligomerisation for which she developed novel RET techniques. As a senior post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Profs R Leurs and M Smit in Amsterdam (2008-2010) she focused on the regulation, pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of chemokine receptors. In 2010, Meritxell was awarded a Monash Fellowship to start her independent line of research within the Drug Discovery Biology (DDB) Theme at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS). In 2017 she took a sabbatical year to work with her collaborators in the departments of surgery (Prof N Bunnett) and pharmacology (Prof J Javitch) at Columbia University, New York. At the end of 2018, Meritxell moved to the University of Nottingham, to join the Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, (COMPARE) a joined venture between the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham.

Expertise Summary

My research focuses on improving our understanding of the cellular responses mediated by G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) with particular focus on novel emerging paradigms that challenge the traditional views on GPCR signalling and regulation and promise to change the way drugs are screened and validated. Such two inter-related paradigms in GPCR biology are: GPCR positional dynamism (encompassing GPCR regulation and compartmentalised signalling) and GPCR conformational dynamism (namely allosterism and biased agonism). The general premise of my work is that a greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of GPCRs will lead to novel, more efficacious, GPCR-targeted therapeutics.

The main focus of my research are peptide receptors involved in pain transmission (opioid, neurokinin and calcitonin gene-related peptide receptors) and immune response (chemokine receptors). While these GPCRs are undisputed targets for the treatment of pain and inflammation, and have an extensive pharmacological toolbox, the use of drugs targeting these receptors is still limited by the development of side effects (such as opioid-induced tolerance or respiratory depression) or by lack of efficacy. My lab uses sophisticated biochemistry and imaging techniques combined withanalytical pharmacology and drug delivery approaches to address these issues and provide a path for improved and safer pain management therapeutics.

Selected Publications

• HALLS, MICHELLE L and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2018. Genetically Encoded FRET Biosensors to Illuminate Compartmentalised GPCRSignalling Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 39(2), 148-157
• MIESS, E, GONDIN, AB, YOUSUF, A, STEINBORN, R, MOSSLEIN, N, YANG, Y, GOLDNER, M, RULAND, J G, BUNEMANN, M, KRASEL, C, CHRISTIE, M J, HALLS, M L, SCHULZ, S and CANALS, M, 2018. Multisite phosphorylation is required for sustained interaction with GRKs and arrestins during rapid mu-opioid receptor desensitization Science Signaling. 1-16
• HALLS, MICHELLE L, YEATMAN, HOLLY R, NOWELL, CAMERON J, THOMPSON, GEORGINA L, GONDIN, ARISBEL BATISTA, CIVCIRISTOV, SRGJAN, BUNNETT, NIGEL W, LAMBERT, NEVIN A, POOLE, DANIEL P and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2016. Plasma membrane localization of the $mu$-opioid receptor controls spatiotemporal signaling. Science Signaling. 9(414), ra16
• THOMPSON, GEORGINA L, LANE, J ROBERT, COUDRAT, THOMAS, SEXTON, PATRICK M, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2016. Biochemical Pharmacology Biochemical Pharmacology. 113(C), 70-87

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• BLASCO-BENITO, SANDRA, MORENO, ESTEFANIA, SEIJO-VILA, MARTA, TUNDIDOR, ISABEL, ANDRADAS, CLARA, CAFFAREL, MARIA M., CARO-VILLALOBOS, MIRIAM, URIGUEN, LEYRE, DIEZ-ALARCIA, REBECA, MORENO-BUENO, GEMA, HERNANDEZ, LUCIA, MANSO, LUIS, HOMAR-RUANO, PATRICIA, MCCORMICK, PETER J., BIBIC, LUCKA, BERNADO-MORALES, CRISTINA, ARRIBAS, JOAQUIN, CANALS, MERITXELL, CASADO, VICENT, CANELA, ENRIC I., GUZMAN, MANUEL, PEREZ-GOMEZ, EDUARDO and SANCHEZ, CRISTINA, 2019. Therapeutic targeting of HER2-CB2R heteromers in HER2-positive breast cancer (vol 116, pg 3863, 2019) PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 116(13), 6505-6505
• SANCHEZ, JULIE, HUMA, ZIL E., LANE, J. ROBERT, LIU, XUYU, BRIDGFORD, JESSICA L., PAYNE, RICHARD J., CANALS, MERITXELL and STONE, MARTIN J., 2019. Evaluation and extension of the two-site, two-step model for binding and activation of the chemokine receptor CCR1 JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 294(10), 3464-3475
• GONDIN, ARISBEL B., HALLS, MICHELLE L., CANALS, MERITXELL and BRIDDON, STEPHEN J., 2019. GRK Mediates mu-Opioid Receptor Plasma Membrane Reorganization FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE. 12,
• CANALS, MERITXELL, POOLE, DANIEL P., VELDHUIS, NICHOLAS A., SCHMIDT, BRIAN L. and BUNNETT, NIGEL W., 2019. G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Are Dynamic Regulators of Digestion and Targets for Digestive Diseases GASTROENTEROLOGY. 156(6), 1600-1616
• SANCHEZ, JULIE, LANE, J. ROBERT, CANALS, MERITXELL and STONE, MARTIN J., 2019. Influence of Chemokine N-Terminal Modification on Biased Agonism at the Chemokine Receptor CCR1 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. 20(10),
• DICELLO, JESSE J., SAITO, AYAME, RAJASEKHAR, PRADEEP, SEBASTIAN, BENJAMIN W., MCQUADE, RACHEL M., GONDIN, ARISBEL B., VELDHUIS, NICHOLAS A., CANALS, MERITXELL, CARBONE, SIMONA E. and POOLE, DANIEL P., 2019. Agonist-dependent development of delta opioid receptor tolerance in the colon CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES. 76(15), 3033-3050
• DICELLO, JESSE T., RAJASEKHAR, PRADEEP, ERIKSSON, EMILY M., SAITO, AYAME, GONDIN, ARISBEL B., VELDHUIS, NICHOLAS A., CANALS, MERITXELL, CARBONE, SIMONA E. and POOLE, DANIEL P., 2019. Clathrin and GRK2/3 inhibitors block delta-opioid receptor internalization in myenteric neurons and inhibit neuromuscular transmission in the mouse colon AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-GASTROINTESTINAL AND LIVER PHYSIOLOGY. 317(2), G79-G89
• LAM R, GONDIN AB, CANALS M, KELLAM B, BRIDDON SJ, GRAHAM B and SCAMMELLS PJ, 2018. Fluorescently Labeled Morphine Derivatives for Bioimaging Studies. Journal of medicinal chemistry. (In Press.)
• HALLS, MICHELLE L and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2018. Genetically Encoded FRET Biosensors to Illuminate Compartmentalised GPCRSignalling Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 39(2), 148-157
• JIMENEZ-VARGAS, NESTOR N, PATTISON, LUKE A, ZHAO, PEISHEN, LIEU, TINAMARIE, LATORRE, ROCCO, JENSEN, DANE D, CASTRO, JOEL, AURELIO, LUIGI, LE, GIANG T, FLYNN, BERNARD, HERENBRINK, CARMEN KLEIN, YEATMAN, HOLLY R, EDGINGTON-MITCHELL, LAURA, PORTER, CHRISTOPHER J H, HALLS, MICHELLE L, CANALS, MERITXELL, VELDHUIS, NICHOLAS A, POOLE, DANIEL P, MCLEAN, PETER, HICKS, GARETH A, SCHEFF, NICOLE, CHEN, ELYSSA, BHATTACHARYA, ADITI, SCHMIDT, BRIAN L, BRIERLEY, STUART M, VANNER, STEPHEN J and BUNNETT, NIGEL W, 2018. Protease-activated receptor-2 in endosomes signals persistent pain of irritable bowel syndrome Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 9, 201721891
• MIESS, E, GONDIN, AB, YOUSUF, A, STEINBORN, R, MOSSLEIN, N, YANG, Y, GOLDNER, M, RULAND, J G, BUNEMANN, M, KRASEL, C, CHRISTIE, M J, HALLS, M L, SCHULZ, S and CANALS, M, 2018. Multisite phosphorylation is required for sustained interaction with GRKs and arrestins during rapid mu-opioid receptor desensitization Science Signaling. 1-16
• LIVINGSTON, KATHRYN E, STANCZYK, M ALEXANDER, BURFORD, NEIL T, ALT, ANDREW, CANALS, MERITXELL and TRAYNOR, JOHN R, 2018. Pharmacologic Evidence for a Putative Conserved Allosteric Site on Opioid Receptors. Mol Pharmacol. 93(2), 157-167
• CIVCIRISTOV S, ELLISDON AM, SUDERMAN R, PON CK, EVANS BA, KLEIFELD O, CHARLTON SJ, HLAVACEK WS, CANALS M and HALLS ML, 2018. Preassembled GPCR signaling complexes mediate distinct cellular responses to ultralow ligand concentrations. Science signaling. 11(551),
• HUANG C, LEWIS C, BORG NA, CANALS M, DIEP H, DRUMMOND GR, GOODE RJ, SCHITTENHELM RB, VINH A, ZHU M, KEMP-HARPER B, KLEIFELD O and STONE MJ, 2018. Proteomic Identification of Interferon-Induced Proteins with Tetratricopeptide Repeats as Markers of M1 Macrophage Polarization. Journal of proteome research. 17(4), 1485-1499
• HUMA, ZIL E, SANCHEZ, JULIE, LIM, HERMAN D, BRIDGFORD, JESSICA L, HUANG, CHENG, PARKER, BRADYN J, PAZHAMALIL, JIANN G, POREBSKI, BENJAMIN T, PFLEGER, KEVIN D G, LANE, J ROBERT, CANALS, MERITXELL and STONE, MARTIN J, 2017. Key determinants of selective binding and activation by the monocyte chemoattractant proteins at the chemokine receptor CCR2 Science Signaling. 10(480), eaai8529
• YARWOOD, REBECCA E, IMLACH, WENDY L, LIEU, TINAMARIE, VELDHUIS, NICHOLAS A, JENSEN, DANE D, KLEIN HERENBRINK, CARMEN, AURELIO, LUIGI, CAI, ZHIJIAN, CHRISTIE, MACDONALD J, POOLE, DANIEL P, PORTER, CHRISTOPHER J H, MCLEAN, PETER, HICKS, GARETH A, GEPPETTI, PIERANGELO, HALLS, MICHELLE L, CANALS, MERITXELL and BUNNETT, NIGEL W, 2017. Endosomal signaling of the receptor for calcitonin gene-related peptide mediates pain transmission. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• JENSEN, DANE D, LIEU, TINAMARIE, HALLS, MICHELLE L, VELDHUIS, NICHOLAS A, IMLACH, WENDY L, MAI, QUYNH N, POOLE, DANIEL P, QUACH, TIM, AURELIO, LUIGI, CONNER, JOSHUA, HERENBRINK, CARMEN KLEIN, BARLOW, NICHOLAS, SIMPSON, JAMIE S, SCANLON, MARTIN J, GRAHAM, BIMBIL, MCCLUSKEY, ADAM, ROBINSON, PHILLIP J, ESCRIOU, VIRGINIE, NASSINI, ROMINA, MATERAZZI, SERENA, GEPPETTI, PIERANGELO, HICKS, GARETH A, CHRISTIE, MACDONALD J, PORTER, CHRISTOPHER J H, CANALS, MERITXELL and BUNNETT, NIGEL W, 2017. Neurokinin 1 receptor signaling in endosomes mediates sustained nociception and is a viable therapeutic target for prolonged pain relief. Science translational medicine. 9(392),
• HALLS ML and CANALS M, 2017. Genetically Encoded FRET Biosensors to Illuminate Compartmentalised GPCR Signalling. Trends in pharmacological sciences. 39(2), 148-157
• THOMPSON, GEORGINA L, LANE, J ROBERT, COUDRAT, THOMAS, SEXTON, PATRICK M, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2016. Biochemical Pharmacology Biochemical Pharmacology. 113(C), 70-87
• HALLS, MICHELLE L, YEATMAN, HOLLY R, NOWELL, CAMERON J, THOMPSON, GEORGINA L, GONDIN, ARISBEL BATISTA, CIVCIRISTOV, SRGJAN, BUNNETT, NIGEL W, LAMBERT, NEVIN A, POOLE, DANIEL P and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2016. Plasma membrane localization of the $mu$-opioid receptor controls spatiotemporal signaling. Science Signaling. 9(414), ra16
• BURFORD, NEIL T, LIVINGSTON, KATHRYN E, CANALS, MERITXELL, RYAN, MOLLY R, BUDENHOLZER, LAUREN M L, HAN, YING, SHANG, YI, HERBST, JOHN J, O'CONNELL, JONATHAN, BANKS, MARTYN, ZHANG, LITAO, FILIZOLA, MARTA, BASSONI, DANIEL L, WEHRMAN, TOM S, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR, TRAYNOR, JOHN R, GERRITZ, SAMUEL W and ALT, ANDREW, 2015. Discovery, Synthesis, and Molecular Pharmacology of Selective Positive Allosteric Modulators of the $delta$-Opioid Receptor Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 58(10), 4220-4229
• THOMPSON, G L, KELLY, E, CHRISTOPOULOS, A and CANALS, M, 2015. Novel GPCR paradigms at the $mu$-opioid receptor. British Journal of Pharmacology. 172(2), 287-296
• THOMPSON, GEORGINA L, LANE, J ROBERT, COUDRAT, THOMAS, SEXTON, PATRICK M, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2015. Biased Agonism of Endogenous Opioid Peptides at the $mu$-Opioid Receptor. Mol Pharmacol. 88(2), 335-346
• ABDUL-RIDHA, A, LANE, JR, MISTRY, SN, LOPEZ, L, SEXTON, PM, SCAMMELLS, PJ, CHRISTOPOULOS, A and CANALS, M, 2014. Mechanistic Insights into Allosteric Structure-Function Relationships at the M1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Journal of Biological Chemistry. 289(48), 33701-33711
• MILLARD, CHRISTOPHER J, LUDEMAN, JUSTIN P, CANALS, MERITXELL, BRIDGFORD, JESSICA L, HINDS, MARK G, CLAYTON, DANIEL J, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR, PAYNE, RICHARD J and STONE, MARTIN J, 2014. Structural Basis of Receptor Sulfotyrosine Recognition by a CC Chemokine: The N-Terminal Region of CCR3 Bound to CCL11/Eotaxin-1 Structure. 22(11), 1571-1581
• JENSEN, DANE D, HALLS, MICHELLE L, MURPHY, JANE E, CANALS, MERITXELL, CATTARUZZA, FIORE, POOLE, DANIEL P, LIEU, TINAMARIE, KOON, HON-WAI, POTHOULAKIS, CHARALABOS and BUNNETT, NIGEL W, 2014. Endothelin-converting enzyme 1 and $beta$-arrestins exert spatiotemporal control of substance P-induced inflammatory signals. The Journal of biological chemistry. 289(29), 20283-20294
• ABDUL-RIDHA, ALAA, LÓPEZ, LAURA, KEOV, PETER, THAL, DAVID M, MISTRY, SHAILESH N, SEXTON, PATRICK M, LANE, J ROBERT, CANALS, MERITXELL and CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR, 2014. Molecular determinants of allosteric modulation at the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. The Journal of biological chemistry. 289(9), 6067-6079
• ABDUL-RIDHA, ALAA, LANE, J ROBERT, MISTRY, SHAILESH N, LÓPEZ, LAURA, SEXTON, PATRICK M, SCAMMELLS, PETER J, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2014. Mechanistic insights into allosteric structure-function relationships at the m1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. The Journal of biological chemistry. 289(48), 33701-33711
• CHEN, A N Y, MALONE, D T, PABREJA, K, SEXTON, P M, CHRISTOPOULOS, A and CANALS, M, 2014. Detection and Quantification of Allosteric Modulation of Endogenous M4 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Using Impedance-Based Label-Free Technology in a Neuronal Cell Line Journal of Biomolecular Screening.
• POOLE, DANIEL P, 2014. Biological redundancy of endogenous GPCR ligands in the gut and the potential for endogenous functional selectivity 1-12
• YEATMAN, HOLLY R, LANE, J ROBERT, CHOY, KWOK HO CHRISTOPHER, LAMBERT, NEVIN A, SEXTON, PATRICK M, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2014. Allosteric Modulation of M1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Internalization and Subcellular Trafficking. The Journal of biological chemistry. 289(22), 15856-15866
• ZHAO, PEISHEN, CANALS, MERITXELL, MURPHY, JANE E, KLINGLER, DIANA, ERIKSSON, EMILY M, PELAYO, JUAN-CARLOS, HARDT, MARKUS, BUNNETT, NIGEL W and POOLE, DANIEL P, 2013. Agonist-biased Trafficking of Somatostatin Receptor 2A in Enteric Neurons. The Journal of biological chemistry. 288(36), 25689-25700
• LANE, J ROBERT, ABDUL-RIDHA, ALAA and CANALS, MERITXELL, 2013. Regulation of G protein-coupled receptors by allosteric ligands ACS chemical neuroscience. 130212081603007
• JENSEN, DANE D, GODFREY, CODY B, NIKLAS, CHRISTIAN, CANALS, MERITXELL, KOCAN, MARTINA, POOLE, DANIEL P, MURPHY, JANE E, ALEMI, FARZAD, COTTRELL, GRAEME S, KORBMACHER, CHRISTOPH, LAMBERT, NEVIN A, BUNNETT, NIGEL W and CORVERA, CARLOS U, 2013. The bile acid receptor TGR5 does not interact with $beta$-arrestins or traffic to endosomes but transmits sustained signals from plasma membrane rafts. The Journal of biological chemistry. 288(32), 22942-22960
• TAN, J H Y, LUDEMAN, J P, WEDDERBURN, J, CANALS, M, HALL, P, BUTLER, S J, TALESKI, D, CHRISTOPOULOS, A, HICKEY, M J, PAYNE, R J and STONE, M J, 2013. Tyrosine Sulfation of Chemokine Receptor CCR2 Enhances Interactions with Both Monomeric and Dimeric Forms of the Chemokine Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) The Journal of biological chemistry. 288(14), 10024-10034
• SCHOLTEN, D J, ROUMEN, L, WIJTMANS, M, VERKADE-VREEKER, M C A, CUSTERS, H, LAI, M, DE HOOGE, D, CANALS, M, DE ESCH, I J P, SMIT, M J, DE GRAAF, C and LEURS, R, 2013. Identification of Overlapping but Differential Binding Sites for the High-Affinity CXCR3 Antagonists NBI-74330 and VUF11211 Mol Pharmacol. 85(1), 116-126
• DROR, RON O, GREEN, HILLARY F, VALANT, CELINE, BORHANI, DAVID W, VALCOURT, JAMES R, PAN, ALBERT C, ARLOW, DANIEL H, CANALS, MERITXELL, LANE, J ROBERT, RAHMANI, RAPHAËL, BAELL, JONATHAN B, SEXTON, PATRICK M, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR and SHAW, DAVID E, 2013. Structural basis for modulation of a G-protein-coupled receptor by allosteric drugs. Nature. 503(7475), 295-299
• TAN, JOSHUA H Y, CANALS, MERITXELL, LUDEMAN, JUSTIN P, WEDDERBURN, JAMIE, BOSTON, CHRISTOPHER, BUTLER, STEPHEN J, CARRICK, ANN MARIE, PARODY, TODD R, TALESKI, DENI, CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR, PAYNE, RICHARD J and STONE, MARTIN J, 2012. Design and Receptor Interactions of Obligate Dimeric Mutant of Chemokine Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1). The Journal of biological chemistry. 287(18), 14692-14702
• CANALS, MERITXELL, LANE, J ROBERT, WEN, ADRIEL, SCAMMELLS, PETER J, SEXTON, PATRICK M and CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR, 2012. A Monod-Wyman-Changeux Mechanism Can Explain G Protein-coupled Receptor (GPCR) Allosteric Modulation. The Journal of biological chemistry. 287(1), 650-659
• CANALS, MERITXELL, SCHOLTEN, DANNY J, DE MUNNIK, SABRINA, HAN, MITCHELL K L, SMIT, MARTINE J and LEURS, ROB, 2012. Ubiquitination of CXCR7 controls receptor trafficking. PLoS ONE. 7(3), e34192
• LANE, J R and CANALS, M, 2012. Sequential Conformational Rearrangements Dictate the Dynamics of Class C GPCR Activation Science Signaling. 5(251), pe51-pe51
• WIJTMANS, MAIKEL, SCHOLTEN, DANNY J, ROUMEN, LUC, CANALS, MERITXELL, CUSTERS, HANS, GLAS, MARJOLEIN, VREEKER, MARLIES C A, DE KANTER, FRANS J J, DE GRAAF, CHRIS, SMIT, MARTINE J, DE ESCH, IWAN J P and LEURS, ROB, 2012. Chemical Subtleties in Small-Molecule Modulation of Peptide Receptor Function: The Case of CXCR3 Biaryl-Type Ligands Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 121114090531003
• ABDUL-RIDHA, A, LANE, J R, SEXTON, P M, CANALS, M and CHRISTOPOULOS, A, 2012. Allosteric Modulation of a Chemogenetically Modified G Protein-Coupled Receptor Mol Pharmacol.
• SCHOLTEN, D J, CANALS, M, WIJTMANS, M, DE MUNNIK, S, NGUYEN, P, VERZIJL, D, DE ESCH, I J P, VISCHER, H F, SMIT, M J and LEURS, R, 2012. Pharmacological characterization of a small-molecule agonist for the chemokine receptor CXCR3. British Journal of Pharmacology. 166(3), 898-911
• SCHOLTEN, DJ, CANALS, M, MAUSSANG, D, ROUMEN, L, SMIT, MJ, WIJTMANS, M, DE GRAAF, C, VISCHER, HF and LEURS, R, 2011. Pharmacological Modulation of Chemokine Receptor Function. British Journal of Pharmacology. 165(6), 1617-1643
• CANALS, MERITXELL, SEXTON, PATRICK M and CHRISTOPOULOS, ARTHUR, 2011. Allostery in GPCRs: 'MWC' revisited. Trends Biochem Sci. 36(12), 663-672
• JENKINS, LAURA, ALVAREZ-CURTO, ELISA, CAMPBELL, KATE, DE MUNNIK, SABRINA, CANALS, MERITXELL, SCHLYER, SABINE and MILLIGAN, GRAEME, 2011. Agonist activation of the G protein-coupled receptor GPR35 involves transmembrane domain III and is transduced via G$alpha$₁₃ and $beta$-arrestin-2. British Journal of Pharmacology. 162(3), 733-748
• CANALS, MERITXELL, LOPEZ-GIMENEZ, JUAN F and MILLIGAN, GRAEME, 2009. Cell surface delivery and structural re-organization by pharmacological chaperones of an oligomerization-defective alpha(1b)-adrenoceptor mutant demonstrates membrane targeting of GPCR oligomers. Biochemical Journal. 417(1), 161-172
• CANALS, MERITXELL and MILLIGAN, GRAEME, 2008. Constitutive activity of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor regulates the function of co-expressed Mu opioid receptors. The Journal of biological chemistry. 283(17), 11424-11434
• LOPEZ-GIMENEZ, JUAN F, CANALS, MERITXELL, PEDIANI, JOHN D and MILLIGAN, GRAEME, 2007. The alpha1b-adrenoceptor exists as a higher-order oligomer: effective oligomerization is required for receptor maturation, surface delivery, and function. Molecular Pharmacology. 71(4), 1015-1029
• ELLIS, JAMES, PEDIANI, JOHN D, CANALS, MERITXELL, MILASTA, SANDRA and MILLIGAN, GRAEME, 2006. Orexin-1 receptor-cannabinoid CB1 receptor heterodimerization results in both ligand-dependent and -independent coordinated alterations of receptor localization and function. The Journal of biological chemistry. 281(50), 38812-38824
• CANALS, MERITXELL, JENKINS, LAURA, KELLETT, ELAINE and MILLIGAN, GRAEME, 2006. Up-regulation of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor by the MAS proto-oncogene is due to constitutive activation of Gq/G11 by MAS. The Journal of biological chemistry. 281(24), 16757-16767
• CIRUELA, FRANCISCO, CASADÓ, VICENT, RODRIGUES, RICARDO J, LUJÁN, RAFAEL, BURGUEÑO, JAVIER, CANALS, MERITXELL, BORYCZ, JANUSZ, REBOLA, NELSON, GOLDBERG, STEVEN R, MALLOL, JOSEFA, CORTÉS, ANTONIO, CANELA, ENRIC I, LOPEZ-GIMENEZ, JUAN F, MILLIGAN, GRAEME, LLUIS, CARME, CUNHA, RODRIGO A, FERRE, SERGI and FRANCO, RAFAEL, 2006. Presynaptic control of striatal glutamatergic neurotransmission by adenosine A1-A2A receptor heteromers. Journal of Neuroscience. 26(7), 2080-2087
• MILLIGAN, GRAEME, PEDIANI, JOHN D, CANALS, MERITXELL and LOPEZ-GIMENEZ, JUAN F, 2006. Oligomeric structure of the alpha1b-adrenoceptor: comparisons with rhodopsin. Vision research. 46(27), 4434-4441
• TORVINEN, MARIA, MARCELLINO, DANIEL, CANALS, MERITXELL, AGNATI, LUIGI F, LLUIS, CARMEN, FRANCO, RAFAEL and FUXE, KJELL, 2005. Adenosine A2A receptor and dopamine D3 receptor interactions: evidence of functional A2A/D3 heteromeric complexes. Molecular Pharmacology. 67(2), 400-407
• CANALS, MERITXELL, BURGUEÑO, JAVIER, MARCELLINO, DANIEL, CABELLO, NÚRIA, CANELA, ENRIC I, MALLOL, JOSEFA, AGNATI, LUIGI, FERRE, SERGI, BOUVIER, MICHEL, FUXE, KJELL, CIRUELA, FRANCISCO, LLUIS, CARMEN and FRANCO, RAFAEL, 2004. Homodimerization of adenosine A2A receptors: qualitative and quantitative assessment by fluorescence and bioluminescence energy transfer. Journal of neurochemistry. 88(3), 726-734
• CIRUELA, FRANCISCO, BURGUEÑO, JAVIER, CASADÓ, VICENT, CANALS, MERITXELL, MARCELLINO, DANIEL, GOLDBERG, STEVEN R, BADER, MICHAEL, FUXE, KJELL, AGNATI, LUIGI F, LLUIS, CARMEN, FRANCO, RAFAEL, FERRE, SERGI and WOODS, AMINA S, 2004. Combining mass spectrometry and pull-down techniques for the study of receptor heteromerization. Direct epitope-epitope electrostatic interactions between adenosine A2A and dopamine D2 receptors. Analytical Chemistry. 76(18), 5354-5363
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