Abstract: G protein coupled receptors are the largest and the most important protein family in human genome, which involved in almost all of the living activities. The gene cloning, functional studies and structural determination of these receptors shed a new light on understanding the physiological regulation and the pathogenicity and treatment of almost all the human diseases. The Nobel Prize had issued to related research for 9 times, and in 2012, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was issued to two American scientists, Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian K. Kobilka, for their extraordinary work on this area, especially on β2 adrenergic receptors. In this paper, we briefly reviewed the research progresses of G protein coupled receptors in the past, their unique 7 transmembrane architecture, activation mechanism and their future trends. 

Key words: G protein coupled receptor, adrenergic receptor, 7 transmembrane architectur