PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Susana Sarnago
AU  - Ramón Roca
AU  - Antonio De Blasi
AU  - Alfonso Valencia
AU  - Federico Mayor, Jr.
AU  - Cristina Murga
TI  - Involvement of Intramolecular Interactions in the Regulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2
AID  - 10.1124/mol.64.3.629
DP  - 2003 Sep 01
TA  - Molecular Pharmacology
PG  - 629--639
VI  - 64
IP  - 3
4099  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/64/3/629.short
4100  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/64/3/629.full
SO  - Mol Pharmacol2003 Sep 01; 64
AB  - The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinase GRK2 phosphorylates G protein-coupled receptors in an agonist-dependent manner. GRK2 activity is modulated through interactions of diverse domains of the kinase with G protein βγ subunits, several lipids, anchoring proteins, and activated receptors. We report that kinase activity toward either GPCR (rhodopsin) or a synthetic peptide substrate is enhanced in the presence of GST-GRK2 fusion proteins or peptides corresponding to either N- or C-terminal sequences of GRK2. This direct stimulatory action of intrinsic domains on GRK2 activity does not add to the effect of other regulators, such as Gβγ subunits, and strongly suggests the existence of some mode of autoregulation. The existence of regulatory intramolecular interactions in GRK2 is supported by the facts that a C-terminal peptide protects the N-terminal region from proteolytic cleavage and that two domains of GRK2 independently coexpressed in cells associate as assessed by immunoprecipitation. Molecular modeling suggests that intramolecular interactions among the N-terminal, C-terminal and kinase domains would keep GRK2 in a constrained conformation characteristic of an inactive, basal state. Our model proposes that disruption of such intramolecular contacts by intermolecular interactions with regulatory proteins (mimicked by exogenously added kinase fragments in vitro) would promote the conformational changes required to bring about GRK2 translocation and activation.