G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral membrane proteins that change conformation after ligand binding so that they can transduce signals from an extracellular ligand to a variety of intracellular components. The detailed interaction of a molecule with a G protein-coupled receptor is a complicated process that is influenced by the receptor conformation, thermodynamics, and ligand conformation and stereoisomeric configuration. To better understand the molecular interactions of fenoterol analogs with the  2 -adrenergic receptor, we developed a new agonist radioligand for binding assays. [3 H](R,RЈ)-methoxyfenoterol was used to probe the binding affinity for a series of fenoterol stereoisomers and derivatives. The results suggest that the radioligand binds with high affinity to an agonist conformation of the receptor, which represents approximately 25% of the total  2 -adrenoceptor (AR) population as determined with the antagonist [ 3 H]CGP-12177. The  2 -AR agonists tested in this study have considerably higher affinity for the agonist conformation of the receptor, and K i values determined for fenoterol analogs model much better the cAMP activity of the  2 -AR elicited by these ligands. The thermodynamics of binding are also different when interacting with an agonist conformation, being purely entropy-driven for each fenoterol isomer, rather than a mixture of entropy and enthalpy when the fenoterol isomers binding was determined using [ 3 H]CGP-12177. Finally, computational modeling identified the molecular interactions involved in agonist binding and allow for the prediction of additional novel  2 -AR agonists. The study underlines the possibility of using defined radioligand structure to probe a specific conformation of such shape-shifting system as the  2 -adrenoceptor.