G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 is a member of the

G protein-coupled receptor kinase G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GPCRKs, GRKs) are a family of protein kinases within the AGC ( protein kinase A, protein kinase G, protein kinase C) group of kinases. Like all AGC kinases, GRKs use ATP to add phosphate to Serine and Thre ...

subfamily of the Ser/Thr

protein kinase A protein kinase is a kinase which selectively modifies other proteins by covalently adding phosphates to them ( phosphorylation) as opposed to kinases which modify lipids, carbohydrates, or other molecules. Phosphorylation usually results in a f ...

s, and is most highly similar to

GRK4 G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 (GRK4) is an enzyme that is encoded by the ''GRK4'' gene in humans. This gene encodes a member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase subfamily of the Ser/Thr protein kinase family, and is most similar to G ...

and

GRK6 This gene encodes a member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase subfamily of the Ser/Thr protein kinase family, and is most highly similar to GRK4 and GRK5. The protein phosphorylates the activated forms of G protein-coupled receptors to reg ...

. The protein

phosphorylates In biochemistry, phosphorylation is described as the "transfer of a phosphate group" from a donor to an acceptor. A common phosphorylating agent (phosphate donor) is ATP and a common family of acceptor are alcohols: : This equation can be writt ...

the activated forms of

G protein-coupled receptors G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven-(pass)-transmembrane domain receptors, 7TM receptors, heptahelical receptors, serpentine receptors, and G protein-linked receptors (GPLR), form a large protein family, group of evoluti ...

to regulate their

signaling A signal is both the process and the result of transmission of data over some media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processing, information theory and biology. ...

Function

G protein-coupled receptor kinases phosphorylate activated G protein-coupled receptors, which promotes the binding of an

arrestin Arrestins (abbreviated Arr) are a small family of proteins important for regulating signal transduction at G protein-coupled receptors. Arrestins were first discovered in the late '80s as a part of a conserved two-step mechanism for regulatin ...

protein to the receptor. Arrestin binding to phosphorylated, active receptor prevents receptor stimulation of

heterotrimeric G protein Heterotrimeric G protein, also sometimes referred to as the ''"large" G proteins'' (as opposed to the subclass of smaller, monomeric small GTPases) are membrane-associated G proteins that form a Heteromer, heterotrimeric complex. The biggest no ...

transducer proteins, blocking their cellular signaling and resulting in receptor desensitization. Arrestin binding also directs receptors to specific cellular internalization pathways, removing the receptors from the cell surface and also preventing additional activation. Arrestin binding to phosphorylated, active receptor also enables receptor signaling through arrestin partner proteins. Thus the GRK/arrestin system serves as a complex signaling switch for G protein-coupled receptors. GRK5 and the closely related GRK6 phosphorylate receptors at sites that encourage arrestin-mediated signaling rather than arrestin-mediated receptor desensitization, internalization and trafficking (in contrast to

GRK2 G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''ADRBK1'' gene. GRK2 was initially called Beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (βARK or βARK1), and is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase subfam ...

and

GRK3 G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''ADRBK2'' gene. GRK3 was initially called Beta-adrenergic receptor kinase 2 (βARK-2), and is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase subfamily o ...

, which have the opposite effect). This difference is one basis for pharmacological

biased agonism Functional selectivity (or agonist trafficking, biased agonism, biased signaling, ligand bias, and differential engagement) is the ligand-dependent selectivity for certain signal transduction pathways relative to a reference ligand (often the end ...

(also called

functional selectivity Functional selectivity (or agonist trafficking, biased agonism, biased signaling, ligand bias, and differential engagement) is the ligand-dependent selectivity for certain signal transduction pathways relative to a reference ligand (often the end ...

), where a drug binding to a receptor may bias that receptor's signaling toward a particular subset of the actions stimulated by that receptor. GRK5 is widely expressed throughout the body, but with notably high expression in the lung, heart and placenta, with widespread expression at lower levels. In humans, a GRK5 sequence polymorphism at residue 41 (leucine rather than glutamine) that is most common in individuals with African ancestry leads to elevated GRK5-mediated desensitization of airway beta2-adrenergic receptors, a drug target in

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

. In the mouse, GRK5 regulates the M2 subtype of

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are acetylcholine receptors that form G protein-coupled receptor, G protein-coupled receptor complexes in the cell membranes of certain neurons and other Cell (biology), cells. They play several role ...

s in airways and neurons, and mice lacking GRK5 have been proposed as a model for

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. In zebrafish and in humans, loss of GRK5 function has been associated with heart defects due to heterotaxy, a series of developmental defects arising from improper left-right laterality during

organogenesis Organogenesis is the phase of embryonic development that starts at the end of gastrulation and continues until birth. During organogenesis, the three germ layers formed from gastrulation (the ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm) form the internal org ...

. Overexpression of GRK5 in the heart of mice has shown that GRK5 regulates beta2-adrenergic receptors, but GRK5 overexpression or deletion does not affect signaling by the angiotensin II AT1 receptor in the heart.

Function

References

Further reading