Structural Basis for Ligand Binding and Specificity in Adrenergic Receptors: Implications for GPCR-Targeted Drug Discovery

Crystal structures of engineered human β₂-adrenergic receptors (ARs) in complex with an inverse agonist ligand, carazolol, provide three-dimensional snapshots of the disposition of seven transmembrane helices and the ligand-binding site of an important G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). As expected, β₂-AR shares substantial structural similarities with rhodopsin, the dim-light photoreceptor of the rod cell. However, although carazolol and the 11-cis-retinylidene moiety of rhodopsin are situated in the same general binding pocket, the second extracellular (E2) loop structures are quite distinct. E2 in rhodopsin shows β-sheet structure and forms part of the chromophore-binding site. In the β₂-AR, E2 is α-helical and seems to be distinct from the receptor’s active site, allowing a potential entry pathway for diffusible ligands. The structures, together with extensive structure−activity relationship (SAR) data from earlier studies, provide insight about possible structural determinants of ligand specificity and how the binding of agonist ligands might alter receptor conformation. We review key features of the new β₂-AR structures in the context of recent complementary work on the conformational dynamics of GPCRs. We also report 600 ns molecular dynamics simulations that quantified β₂-AR receptor mobility in a membrane bilayer environment and show how the binding of an agonist ligand, adrenaline (epinephrine), causes conformational changes to the ligand-binding pocket and neighboring helices.