Agonist Regulation of Gene Expression of Adrenergic Receptors and G Proteins

Abstract: Study of transmembrane signaling via G proteins has focused to a large extent upon investigations of individual G protein‐linked receptor‐effector systems. Agonist‐induced desensitization and down‐regulation of β‐adrenergic receptors, for example, have been studied extensively and adopted as a general model for G protein‐linked receptor regulation. This review focuses not only on agonist regulation of adrenergic receptor gene expression, but also on how agonists regulate opposing adrenergic receptor‐mediated pathways. This important feature of G protein‐mediated pathways, i.e., cross‐regulation and integration of information among several pathways, will be discussed in the context of what has been learned in the adrenergic receptor‐coupled pathways.