Regulation of G protein-coupled receptors by palmitoylation and cholesterol

Abstract

Due to their membrane location, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are subject to regulation by soluble and integral membrane proteins as well as membrane components, including lipids and sterols. GPCRs also undergo a variety of post-translational modifications, including palmitoylation. A recent article by Zheng et al. in BMC Cell Biology demonstrates cooperative roles for receptor palmitoylation and cholesterol binding in GPCR dimerization and G protein coupling, underlining the complex regulation of these receptors.See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2121/13/6. © 2012 Goddard and Watts; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.