Heterodimerization and surface localization of G protein coupled receptors

G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the largest human gene families, and are targets for many important therapeutic drugs. Over the last few years, there has been a major paradigm shift in our understanding of how these receptors function. Formerly, GPCRs were thought to exist as monomers that, upon agonist occupation, activated a heterotrimeric G protein to alter the concentrations of specific second messengers. Until recently, this relatively linear cascade has been the standard paradigm for signaling by these molecules. However, it is now clear that this model is not adequate to explain many aspects of GPCR function. We now know that many, if not most, GPCRs form homo- and/or hetero-oligomeric complexes and interact directly with intracellular proteins in addition to G proteins. It now appears that many GPCRs may not function independently, but might more accurately be described as subunits of large multi-protein signaling complexes. These observations raise many important new questions; some of which include: (1) how many functionally and pharmacologically distinct receptor subtypes exist in vivo? (2) Which GPCRs physically associate, and in what stochiometries? (3) What are the roles of individual subunits in binding ligand and activating responses? (4) Are the pharmacological or signaling properties of GPCR heterodimers different from monomers? Since these receptors are the targets for a large number of clinically useful compounds, such information is likely to be of direct therapeutic importance, both in understanding how existing drugs work, but also in discovering novel compounds to treat disease.