β-arrestin2 plays permissive roles in the inhibitory activities of RGS9-2 on G protein-coupled receptors by maintaining RGS9-2 in the open conformation

Mol Cell Biol. 2011 Dec;31(24):4887-901. doi: 10.1128/MCB.05690-11. Epub 2011 Oct 17.

Abstract

Together with G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) and β-arrestins, RGS proteins are the major family of molecules that control the signaling of GPCRs. The expression pattern of one of these RGS family members, RGS9-2, coincides with that of the dopamine D(3) receptor (D(3)R) in the brain, and in vivo studies have shown that RGS9-2 regulates the signaling of D2-like receptors. In this study, β-arrestin2 was found to be required for scaffolding of the intricate interactions among the dishevelled-EGL10-pleckstrin (DEP) domain of RGS9-2, Gβ5, R7-binding protein (R7BP), and D(3)R. The DEP domain of RGS9-2, under the permission of β-arrestin2, inhibited the signaling of D(3)R in collaboration with Gβ5. β-Arrestin2 competed with R7BP and Gβ5 so that RGS9-2 is placed in the cytosolic region in an open conformation which is able to inhibit the signaling of GPCRs. The affinity of the receptor protein for β-arrestin2 was a critical factor that determined the selectivity of RGS9-2 for the receptor it regulates. These results show that β-arrestins function not only as mediators of receptor-G protein uncoupling and initiators of receptor endocytosis but also as scaffolding proteins that control and coordinate the inhibitory effects of RGS proteins on the signaling of certain GPCRs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arrestins / genetics
  • Arrestins / metabolism*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Endocytosis
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Mice
  • Plasmids
  • RGS Proteins / genetics*
  • RGS Proteins / metabolism*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Receptors, Dopamine D3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Dopamine D3 / genetics
  • Receptors, Dopamine D3 / metabolism
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transfection / methods
  • beta-Arrestins

Substances

  • Arrestins
  • R7BP protein, mouse
  • RGS Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Receptors, Dopamine D3
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • beta-Arrestins
  • regulator of g-protein signaling 9