Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721 USA

Activation of the G‐Protein‐Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin by Water

Published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Visual rhodopsin is an important archetype for G‐protein‐coupled receptors, which are membrane proteins implicated in cellular signal transduction. Herein, we show experimentally that approximately 80 water molecules flood rhodopsin upon light absorption to form a solvent‐swollen active state. An influx of mobile water is necessary for activating t...