Peeking at G-protein-coupled receptors through the molecular dynamics keyhole

Future Med Chem. 2019 Mar;11(6):599-615. doi: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0393. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Abstract

Molecular dynamics is a state of the art computational tool for the investigation of biophysics phenomenon at a molecular scale, as it enables the modeling of dynamic processes, such as conformational motions, molecular solvation and ligand binding. The recent advances in structural biology have led to a bloom in published G-protein-coupled receptor structures, representing a solid and valuable resource for molecular dynamics studies. During the last decade, indeed, a plethora of physiological and pharmacological facets of this membrane protein superfamily have been addressed by means of molecular dynamics simulations, including the activation mechanism, allosterism and, very recently, biased signaling. Here, we try to recapitulate some of the main contributions that molecular dynamics has recently produced in the field.

Keywords: GPCRs; allosterism; biased agonism; class B GPCRs; ligand binding; molecular dynamics; solvation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Allosteric Regulation
  • Animals
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / chemistry
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled