Developing small molecule drugs starts with selection of the target macromolecule, such as a cell surface receptor, and screening of candidate compounds that either block or mimic the effect of the naturally occurring ligand. Fang et al. have adapted microprinting techniques to fabricate microarrays of G protein-coupled receptors (one of the largest family of receptors), deposited from vesicular suspensions onto silane-derivatized glass slides. These membrane proteins were displayed in a structurally intact fashion as demonstrated by binding of the b-adrenergic receptor ligand CGP 12177 to both b1 and b2 receptor subtypes and not to the a2A subtype; furthermore, the b2-selective antagonist ICI 118551 preferentially diminished the b2 signal. -- GJC
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 10.1021/ja017346+ (2002).