DETERMINING THE MOLECULAR ENVELOPE OF THE COMPLEX OF A G-PROTEIN AND ITS RECEPTO

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. G-protein coupled receptors are 7-transmembrane helix proteins that mediate the majority of cellular responses to hormones, neurotransmitters, and sensory stimuli. In collaboration with Dr. Brian Kobilka, we have been studying crystal structures of the beta2-adrenergic receptor, a well-characterized G-protein coupled receptor. Thus far all structures of this and related receptors have been of the inactive state. A key question is how activating ligands stabilize the conformation of the receptor that can interact with its cognate heterotrimeric G protein and trigger nucleotide exchange. We have recently succeeded in producing a stable complex of the receptor bound to an activating ligand and a G protein. The complex, approximately 150kDa, is monodisperse as determined by size exclusion chromatography and electron microscopy. We would like to carry out preliminary SAXS measurements to assess if we can obtain information about the overall shape of the complex, since we know the structures of the two individual components.