Structure determination of inactive-state GPCRs with a universal nanobody

Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has widened the field of structure-based drug discovery by allowing for routine determination of membrane protein structures previously intractable. Despite representing one of the largest classes of therapeutic targets, most inactive-state G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have remained inaccessible for cryo-EM because their small size and membrane-embedded nature impedes projection alignment for high-resolution map reconstructions. Here we demonstrate that the same single-chain camelid antibody (nanobody) recognizing a grafted intracellular loop can be used to obtain cryo-EM structures of inactive-state GPCRs at resolutions comparable or better than those obtained by X-ray crystallography. Using this approach, we obtained structures of neurotensin 1 receptor bound to antagonist SR48692, μ-opioid receptor bound to alvimopan, apo somatostatin receptor 2 and histamine receptor 2 bound to famotidine. We expect this rapid, straightforward approach to facilitate the broad exploration of GPCR inactive states without the need for extensive engineering and crystallization. Cryo-EM has facilitated structural studies of membrane proteins, but inactive GPCRs have remained inaccessible due to their small size. Robertson et al. demonstrate a common nanobody-based approach to streamline the determination of such structures.