Case study reveals distinct ligand populations in neurokinin A receptor using fluorine NMR, suggesting improved ligand detection methods.
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are major pharmacological targets, with ≈34% of FDA-approved drugs acting on this protein family. The frequent incorporation of fluorine into small-molecule ligands enables the use of ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a sensitive and site-specific method to probe ligand behaviour. In this case study, we investigate the fluorinated antagonist GR159897 bound to the membrane-embedded neurokinin A receptor reconstituted in detergent-free styrene-maleic acid lipid particles (SMALPs) using ¹⁹F ultrafast magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR. We demonstrate that the environmental sensitivity of ¹⁹F NMR resolves distinct ligand populations within the SMALP system and enables detection of receptor-associated ligand, highlighting the utility of ¹⁹F solid-state NMR for probing GPCR-ligand interactions.
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Seidl et al. (2026) studied this question.
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