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Updated: Dec 10, 2025

Measuring G-protein-coupled Receptor Signaling via Radio-labeled GTP Binding
Published on: June 9, 2017
Structural and Biophysical Mechanisms of Class C G Protein-Coupled Receptor Function
Amr Ellaithy1, Javier Gonzalez-Maeso2, Diomedes A Logothetis3
1Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Groundbreaking structural and spectroscopic studies of class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as rhodopsin and the β2 adrenergic receptor, have provided a picture of how structural rearrangements between transmembrane helices control ligand binding, receptor activation, and effector coupling. However, the activation mechanism of other GPCR classes remains more elusive, in large part due to complexity in their domain assembly and quaternary structure. In this review, we focus on the class C GPCRs, which include metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and gamma-aminobutyric acid B (GABAB) receptors (GABABRs) most prominently. We discuss the unique biophysical questions raised by the presence of large extracellular ligand-binding domains (LBDs) and constitutive homo/heterodimerization. Furthermore, we discuss how recent studies have begun to unravel how these fundamental class C GPCR features impact the processes of ligand binding, receptor activation, signal transduction, regulation by accessory proteins, and crosstalk with other GPCRs.
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