Ligands Stabilize Specific GPCR Conformations: But How?

Small molecules modulate the activity of G protein-coupled receptors in a number of different ways leading to distinct signaling outcomes, but the mechanisms behind this modulation remain unclear. In this issue of Structure, Zocher et al. have used dynamic single-molecule force spectroscopy to study this question by examining global thermodynamic properties of β2AR in the presence of different ligands