title: The superfamily of heptahelical receptors.
abstract: Despite a growing appreciation of functional analogies between visual and hormonal signalling systems in the early 1980s, the discovery of the close structural relationship between rhodopsin and the beta2-adrenergic receptor, and of the existence of a larger 'superfamily' of such receptors, came as a total surprise. Here I provide a personal perspective on events leading up to and flowing from this exciting discovery that opened up a vast field of research.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Biochemistry, Duke University Medical centre, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. lefko001@receptor-biol.duke.edu
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lefkowitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019390:Arrestins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000266:history* / Q000378:metabolism; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000266:history* / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000187:drug effects; D014785:Vision, Ocular
chemical_list: D019390:Arrestins; D006728:Hormones; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D012243:Rhodopsin; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins