title: Protease-activated receptors: how proteases signal to cells.
abstract: Certain proteases from the circulation, mast cells and elsewhere signal directly to cells by cleaving protease-activated receptors (PARs), members of a new subfamily of G-protein-coupled receptor. Cleavage exposes a tethered ligand domain that binds to and activates the cleaved receptors. Advances in the past year have improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this signaling and how it is switched off. It is now recognized that PARs play important roles in 'emergency situations' - such as trauma, when there is generation or release of proteases - and are involved in coagulation, inflammation, pain, healing and protection. Selective antagonists or agonists of these receptors may be useful therapeutic agents for the treatment of human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0660, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmidlin
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Bunnett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004064:Digestive System / Q000201:enzymology; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D044463:Receptor, PAR-1; D044464:Receptor, PAR-2; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D044463:Receptor, PAR-1; D044464:Receptor, PAR-2; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; C105295:protease-activated receptor 3; D010450:Endopeptidases; C112908:protease-activated receptor 4