| First Author | Reddy VB | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 6 |
| Pages | 7864 | PubMed ID | 26216096 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:224443 | Mgi Id | MGI:5662301 |
| Doi | 10.1038/ncomms8864 | Citation | Reddy VB, et al. (2015) Redefining the concept of protease-activated receptors: cathepsin S evokes itch via activation of Mrgprs. Nat Commun 6:7864 |
| abstractText | Sensory neurons expressing Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptors (Mrgprs) mediate histamine-independent itch. We show that the cysteine protease cathepsin S activates MrgprC11 and evokes receptor-dependent scratching in mice. In contrast to its activation of conventional protease-activated receptors, cathepsin S-mediated activation of MrgprC11 did not involve the generation of a tethered ligand. We demonstrate further that different cysteine proteases selectively activate specific mouse and human Mrgpr family members. This expansion of our understanding by which proteases interact with G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) redefines the concept of what constitutes a protease-activated receptor. The findings also implicate proteases as ligands to members of this orphan receptor family while providing new insights into how cysteine proteases contribute to itch. |
