Download MendeleySmall-molecule modulation of beta-arrestins.
Kahsai, A.W., Pakharukova, N., Kwon, H.Y., Shah, K.S., Del Real, C.T., Shreiber, B.N., Liang-Lin, J.G., Shim, P.J., Lee, M.A., Ngo, V.A., Schwalb, A.M., Pham, U., Chundi, A., Jiang, H., Flores-Espinoza, E., Liu, S., Nibley, P.C., Bassford, D.K., Hahn, H., Kunzle, C.A., Thomas, B.N., Kim, J., Zhou, Y., Wang, J., Zhang, X., Smith, J.S., Rein, L.A.M., Thomsen, A.R.B., Shenoy, S.K., Rajagopal, S., Shi, L., Ahn, S., Rockman, H.A., Masoudi, A., Lefkowitz, R.J.(2026) Nature
- PubMed: 42343124 Search on PubMedSearch on PubMed Central
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10683-5
- Primary Citation Related Structures:
9DNG, 9DNM - PubMed Abstract:
β-Arrestins are multifunctional regulators of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling and orchestrate diverse downstream signalling events and physiological responses across the GPCR superfamily 1-3 . Although GPCR pharmacology has advanced to target orthosteric and allosteric sites, as well as G proteins and GPCR kinases, direct chemical tools to modulate β-arrestin activities have remained conspicuously absent. Here we report the identification of small-molecule inhibitors that selectively target β-arrestins and delineate their mechanism of action through integrated pharmacological, biochemical, biophysical and structural analyses. These inhibitors disrupt β-arrestin engagement with agonist-activated GPCRs, impairing desensitization, internalization and β-arrestin-dependent physiological functions while sparing G protein-receptor coupling. Cryo-electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations and structure-guided mutagenesis reveal that one modulator, Cmpd-5, engages a pocket within the central crest of β-arrestin1 formed by the middle, C and lariat loops, a critical receptor-binding interface, stabilizing a distinct conformation that is incompatible with full β-arrestin-receptor engagement. Together, these findings establish a mechanistic framework for β-arrestin modulation, reveal a novel allosteric site for structure-based drug design, and open new avenues for transducer-targeted, pathway-specific GPCR therapeutic agents.
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. alem@receptor-biol.duke.edu.
Organizational Affiliation:
