‘Superdark’ protein looks like a G-protein-coupled receptor — but shows unconventional behaviour

TL;DR - Mining millions of AI-predicted protein structures uncovered an evolutionarily conserved “superdark” protein that structurally resembles a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) but behaves unconventionally. The finding highlights how structure prediction can reveal previously obscure proteins whose functions diverge from familiar families.

• The protein was identified through large-scale analysis of AI-predicted structures.
• Its structure resembles a member of the GPCR family, but its function differs from conventional GPCR behavior.
• Evolutionary conservation suggests the protein has a biologically important role.
• The provided summary does not specify its precise mechanism or physiological function.