alfasubunit
An alpha subunit is a component of a larger protein complex, often a receptor or enzyme. In many biological systems, proteins are assembled from multiple subunits, each with its own specific role. The alpha subunit is one such building block. For example, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large family of cell surface receptors that transmit extracellular signals into intracellular responses. These receptors are heterotrimeric proteins, meaning they are composed of three different types of subunits: alpha, beta, and gamma. The alpha subunit in this context is particularly important as it binds to guanine nucleotides (GDP and GTP) and plays a crucial role in signal transduction by interacting with downstream effector proteins.
Another significant example of alpha subunits can be found in hemoglobin, the protein responsible for oxygen