Molecular properties and signalling pathways of the histamine H1 receptor

With cloning of the gene encoding the histamine H-1 receptor, a new area of histamine research has become reality. Finally, it seems feasible to study the target of the therapeutically important clans of antihistamine. Expression of the genes in mammalian cells allows detailed investigations of the various signal transduction routes of the histamine H-1 receptor. Moreover, using molecular biological techniques, it is now possible to investigate ligand receptor interaction at the molecular level. Studies with mutant H-1 receptors have shown that H-1 antagonists bind to a specific amino acid residues in TM3 and 5. It is expected that these new developments will provide much fundamental knowledge on the ligand interaction with the H-1 receptor.