Structure and functions of arrestins

Transmembrane signal transductions in a variety of cell types that mediate signals as diverse as those carried by neurotransmitters, hormones, and sensory signals share basic biochemical mechanisms that include: (1) an extracellular perturbation (neurotransmitter, hormone, odor, light); (2) specific receptors; (3) coupling proteins, such as G proteins; and (4) effector enzymes or ion channels. Parallel to these amplification reactions, receptors are precisely inactivated by mechanisms that involve protein kinases and regulatory proteins called arrestins. The structure and functions of arrestins are the focus of this review.