Internalization of the m2 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor

Recent studies have identified agonist-dependent phosphorylation as a critical event in the rapid uncoupling of the m2 muscarinic cholinergic receptors (mAChR) from G-proteins and sequestration of the receptors away from the cell surface. However, mutant m2 mAChRs were identified that were phosphorylated but unable to desensitize in adenylyl cyclase assays, while they internalized like wild type (WT) mAChRs. We have tested whether these properties might stem from differences in the abilities of the WT and mutant mAChR to bind arrestins, proteins implicated in both receptor/G-protein uncoupling and internalization. We have determined that arrestin binding requires phosphorylation at a cluster of Ser/Thr residues in amino acids 307-311 in the m2 mAChR. A strong correlation was found between the ability of WT and mutant receptors to bind arrestins in vitro or in vivo and to desensitize in adenylyl cyclase assays. However, the phosphorylation-dependent internalization of the m2 mAChR in HEK-tsA201 cells did not require arrestins and did not proceed via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. While the m2 mAChR was able to enter a clathrin- and arrestin-dependent pathway when arrestin 2 or arrestin 3 was significantly overexpressed, the preferred pathway of internalization of WT and certain mutant m2 mAChR in HEK-tsA201 cells did not involve participation of arrestins. The results suggest that the phosphorylation-mediated regulation of the m2 mAChR may involve arrestin-dependent and -independent events.