Cannabinoid receptor 2
Mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), is a G protein-coupled receptor from the cannabinoid receptor family that in humans is encoded by the CNR2 gene.[5][6] It is closely related to the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), which is largely responsible for the efficacy of endocannabinoid-mediated presynaptic-inhibition, the psychoactive properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active agent in cannabis, and other phytocannabinoids (plant cannabinoids).[5][7] The principal endogenous ligand for the CB2 receptor is 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).[6]
CB2 was cloned in 1993 by a research group from Cambridge looking for a second cannabinoid receptor that could explain the pharmacological properties of tetrahydrocannabinol.[5] The receptor was identified among cDNAs based on its similarity in amino-acid sequence to the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) receptor, discovered in 1990.[8] The discovery of this receptor helped provide a molecular explanation for the established effects of cannabinoids on the immune system.