Rhodopsin is a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) involved in biological signaling. How the structure of the ligand is connected with larger-scale functional protein dynamics has remained elusive. Solid-state NMR relaxation shows that localized motions of the ligand retinal lead to collective fluctuations of transmembrane helices in the activation mechanism of the photoreceptor.
- Andrey V Struts
- Gilmar F J Salgado
- Michael F Brown