Seven Transmembrane Receptors, G protein coupled receptor kinases, and Beta-arrestins

Talk Overview

In the first segment of the lecture, the history of discovery in the field of seven transmembrane receptor research over the past forty years is reviewed. Highlights include overcoming initial skepticism that the receptors even existed; isolating the receptors as discrete biochemical entities and demonstrating their ligand binding and functional activating properties; discovering their seven transmembrane spanning arrangement and homology with the visual light receptor rhodopsin, thereby leading to the discovery of the wider seven transmembrane receptor superfamily; determination of the structure – function relationships of the receptors by mutagenesis and chimeric receptor construction; discovery of constitutively active mutant receptors; discovery of the phosphorylation of the receptors by G protein coupled receptor kinases, and of the beta-arrestins and of their universal mechanism for desensitizing the receptors.

In part 2 of the lecture, recent discoveries about how beta-arrestins not only desensitize the receptors but also mediate their endocytosis, as well as independent signaling pathways, are reviewed. Also covered is how these new discoveries provide a basis for designing novel classes of pharmacological agents which can promote signaling exclusively down either the G protein or beta-arrestin mediated pathways, so called “biased” agonists.

Speaker Bio

Robert Lefkowitz

Dr. Lefkowitz is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Biochemistry and Immunology at Duke University Medical Center. Lefkowitz was an undergraduate at Columbia College and received his M.D. Degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his medical, research and clinical training in cardiovascular… Continue Reading