β2 adrenergic receptor with an irreversible agonist

A G-protein-coupled receptor caught in complex with a covalently bound agonist.

The receptor's seven helices (orange) with the agonist (plum) tethered in its pocket at the top. The T4 lysozyme added to help it crystallise is grey, below; a cholesterol molecule (gold) sits on the outside.

Part of the GPCR membrane-protein work recognised by the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

PDB entry: 3PDS at PDBe (also at RCSB PDB)
Released: 2011-01-12
Resolution: 3.5 Å
Paper: Structure and function of an irreversible agonist-beta(2) adrenoceptor complex (Nature, 2011)
More: Technical details, links and electron density

Pictures and video rendered with UCSF ChimeraX; the 3D view is PDBe Mol*.