Conserved waters mediate structural and functional activation of family A (rhodopsin-like) G protein-coupled receptors

G protein-coupled receptors with seven transmembrane α-helices (GPCRs) comprise the largest receptor superfamily and are involved in detecting a wide variety of extracellular stimuli. The availability of high-resolution crystal structures of five prototypical GPCRs, bovine and squid rhodopsin, en…