title: Arrestins come of age: a personal historical perspective.
abstract: Visual arrestin and the two β-arrestins (1 and 2) were originally discovered 25-30 years ago in the context of their ability to desensitize phosphorylated G protein-coupled receptors (rhodopsin and the β2-adrenergic receptor, respectively). A fourth retinal-specific member of the family (X-arrestin) was discovered later. Over the past 10-15 years, however, it has become clear that these versatile molecules subserve a host of other roles in modulating and mediating the function of most GPCRs as well as other types of receptors. Functioning as multifunctional adaptor proteins, the β-arrestins also play prominent roles in receptor endocytosis, signaling, trafficking, and ubiquitination among others. Here, I provide a brief personal perspective on how the field has evolved since its inception and speculate on future directions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lefkowitz
mesh_terms: D019390:Arrestins / Q000266:history* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004705:Endocytosis; D054768:G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D019390:Arrestins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D054768:G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases