Ligand‐Binding Modes in Cationic Biogenic Amine Receptors

The binding site in G protein‐coupled cationic biogenic amine receptors is formed in the cleft of the seven transmembrane segments. Upon binding the ligand, the receptors are activated or inactivated through the conformational changes of the transmembrane segments. G protein‐coupled receptors bind four functionally distinct ligands; inverse agonists, antagonists, partial agonists, and full agonists. Hence, putative structural models for biogenic amine receptors corresponding to the ligand function (inverse agonist‐, antagonist‐, partial agonist‐, and full agonist‐bound receptor models) were built by using photointermediate models in the rhodopsin photocascade (M. Ishiguro et al. ChemBioChem . 2004 , 5 , 298–310). The ligand–receptor recognition of each was examined by modeling receptor–ligand complexes with functional ligands. The complex models suggested that each functional ligand binds the corresponding receptor structure and that ligand‐specific interactions contribute to stabilization of the corresponding receptor structure.