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Structural biology

A receptor unlocked

Nature volume 450, pages 355–356 (2007)Cite this article

G-protein-coupled receptors govern many biological functions, yet little is known about the molecular basis of their activity. The structure of a prominent example of these receptors is now revealed.

The pounding heart and speeding metabolism that accompany fear and fury are the work of the adrenaline molecule, which is produced by the adrenal gland at times of stress. Adrenaline is an agonist — an activator — of β2-adrenergic receptors (β2ARs). Embedded in cell membranes in many tissues, these receptors control diverse effects, such as rapid pulse, pupil dilation and constriction of the blood vessels. But the β2AR has even broader relevance to biologists, because it is the archetypal member of a family of more than a thousand G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)1. When stimulated by agonists, GPCRs activate the eponymous G proteins that are tethered to the inner surface of the cell membrane. The G proteins in turn initiate cascades of biological signals that control such processes as gene expression, metabolic activity and cell movement.

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Figure 1: Structure of a G-protein-coupled receptor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stephen R. Sprang is at the Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA. stephen.sprang@umontana.edu ,

    Stephen R. Sprang

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  1. Stephen R. Sprang
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Sprang, S. A receptor unlocked. Nature 450, 355–356 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/450355a

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