Browsing by Subject "G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)"

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    G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2) regulates serotonin metabolism through the monoamine oxidase AMX-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2017-04-07) Wang, Jianjun; Luo, Jiansong; Aryal, Dipendra K.; Wetsel, William C.; Nass, Richard; Benovic, Jeffrey L.; Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine
    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate many animal behaviors. GPCR signaling is mediated by agonist-promoted interactions of GPCRs with heterotrimeric G proteins, GPCR kinases (GRKs), and arrestins. To further elucidate the role of GRKs in regulating GPCR-mediated behaviors, we utilized the genetic model system Caenorhabditis elegans Our studies demonstrate that grk-2 loss-of-function strains are egg laying-defective and contain low levels of serotonin (5-HT) and high levels of the 5-HT metabolite 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA). The egg laying defect could be rescued by the expression of wild type but not by catalytically inactive grk-2 or by the selective expression of grk-2 in hermaphrodite-specific neurons. The addition of 5-HT or inhibition of 5-HT metabolism also rescued the egg laying defect. Furthermore, we demonstrate that AMX-2 is the primary monoamine oxidase that metabolizes 5-HT in C. elegans, and we also found that grk-2 loss-of-function strains have abnormally high levels of AMX-2 compared with wild-type nematodes. Interestingly, GRK-2 was also found to interact with and promote the phosphorylation of AMX-2. Additional studies reveal that 5-HIAA functions to inhibit egg laying in a manner dependent on the 5-HT receptor SER-1 and the G protein GOA-1. These results demonstrate that GRK-2 modulates 5-HT metabolism by regulating AMX-2 function and that 5-HIAA may function in the SER-1 signaling pathway.
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    Monitoring endosomal trafficking of the G protein-coupled receptor somatostatin receptor 3
    (Elsevier, 2014) Tower-Gilchrist, Cristy; Styers, Melanie L.; Yoder, Bradley K.; Berbari, Nicolas F.; Sztul, Elizabeth; Biology, School of Science
    Endocytic trafficking of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulates the number of cell surface receptors available for activation by agonists and serves as one mechanism that controls the intensity and duration of signaling. Deregulation of GPCR-mediated signaling pathways results in a multitude of diseases, and thus extensive efforts have been directed toward understand the pathways and molecular events that regulate endocytic trafficking of these receptors. The general paradigms associated with internalization and recycling, as well as many of the key regulators involved in endosomal trafficking of GPCRs have been identified. This knowledge provides goalposts to facilitate the analysis of endosomal pathways traversed by previously uncharacterized GPCRs. Some of the most informative markers associated with GPCR transit are the Rab members of the Ras-related family of small GTPases. Individual Rabs show high selectivity for distinct endosomal compartments, and thus co-localization of a GPCR with a particular Rab informs on the internalization pathway traversed by the receptor. Progress in our knowledge of endosomal trafficking of GPCRs has been achieved through advances in our ability to tag GPCRs and Rabs with fluorescent proteins and perform live cell imaging of multiple fluorophores, allowing real-time observation of receptor trafficking between subcellular compartments in a cell culture model.