beta-arrestins: traffic cops of cell signaling

Once thought to function only in the desensitization of seven membrane spanning receptors (7MSRs), the ubiquitous beta-arrestin molecules are increasingly appreciated to play important roles in the endocytosis and signaling of these receptors. These functions reflect the ability of the beta-arrestins to bind an ever-growing list of signaling and endocytic elements, often in an agonist-dependent fashion. One heavily studied system is that leading to MAP kinase activation via beta-arrestin-mediated scaffolding of these pathways in a receptor-dependent fashion. The beta-arrestins are also found to be involved in the regulation of novel receptor systems, such as Frizzled and TGFbeta receptors.