Intracellular Trafficking of Neuropeptide Y Receptors

The multireceptor multiligand system of neuropeptide Y receptors and their ligands is involved in the regulation of a multitude of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Specific expression patterns, ligand-binding modes, and signaling properties contribute to the complex network regulating distinct cellular responses. Intracellular trafficking processes are important key steps that are regulated in context with accessory proteins. These proteins exert their influence by interacting directly or indirectly with the receptors, causing modification of the receptors, or operating as scaffolds for the assembly of larger signaling complexes. On the intracellular receptor faces, sequence-specific motifs have been identified that play an important role in this process. Interestingly, it is also possible to influence the receptor internalization by modification of the peptide ligand.