title: Regulation of G-protein-coupled signaling pathways in allergic inflammation.
abstract: Allergic diseases such as asthma are elicited by maladaptive activation of immune cells such as mast cells and lymphocytes by otherwise innocuous allergens. The numerous mediators secreted by such cells promote both acute inflammation and, in many instances, chronic tissue remodeling. Most of these compounds exert their effects on end-organ targets such as epithelial and endothelial cells and airway smooth muscle by activating G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are by far the most abundant type of cell surface receptor. Since GPCRs are also the most common target of allergy therapeutics, a better understanding of their intracellular signaling mechanisms is vital to improve the efficacy of such drugs or to develop new targets. In this review, we focus on some of the new regulatory elements that control the duration and amplitude of GPCR signal transduction pathways in immune effector cells and end-organ structural cells affected by allergic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Signal Transduction Section, Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive Room 11N242, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA, kdruey@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Kirk M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Druey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D020710:RGS Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020710:RGS Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins