title: Regulators of G-protein-coupled receptor-G-protein coupling: antidepressants mechanism of action.
abstract: There is a significant gap between advances in medication for mental disorders and the present static situation of biological diagnosis and monitoring treatment. The system of neural transmission and signal transduction is a complicated, highly regulated cascade of biochemical events. Growing evidence suggests that receptor-G-protein coupling may be involved in both the pathogenesis and treatment of mood disorders. Our knowledge concerning the basic mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of desensitization, internalization, downregulation and resensitization of the G-protein-coupled receptor has been advanced during the last decade. The present review discusses the possible involvement of regulators of G-protein-coupled receptor-G-protein coupling: beta-arrestins, G-protein-coupled receptor kinases and phosducin-like proteins, as well as beta-arrestins alternative signaling events, in the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment monitoring of mood disorders and in the mechanism of action of antidepressant medications.
authors.affiliation: Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Dept. of Psychiatry at Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel. schreibg@bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avissar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins