This study solves the X-ray crystal structure of a constitutively active mutant of rhodopsin, a G-protein-coupled receptor, bound to a peptide derived from the C-terminus of the G protein transducin. Comparison of this structure with the structure of ground-state rhodopsin suggests how translocation of the retinal β-ionone ring leads to a rotational tilt of transmembrane helix 6, the critical conformational change that occurs upon activation.
- Jörg Standfuss
- Patricia C. Edwards
- Gebhard F. X. Schertler
