Protease-activated receptor-2 simultaneously directs β-arrestin-1-dependent inhibition and Gαq-dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activated upon proteolytic cleavage of its N-terminus by a number of serine proteases. We have previously reported that formation of beta-arrestin-dependent signaling scaffold is required for PAR-2-stimulated activation of extracellular signal regulated kinases 1 and 2 and chemotaxis. beta-Arrestin-dependent pathways downstream of some GPCRs have been shown to function independently and sometimes in opposition to classic signaling through heterotrimeric G-proteins; however, this possibility has not been addressed with respect to PAR-2. Here we demonstrate that PAR-2 can increase PI3K activity through a G alpha q/Ca2+-dependent pathway involving PYK2 and a Src-family kinase, while inhibiting PI3K activity through beta-arrestin-dependent mechanism, and that beta-arrestin-1 can directly associate with and inhibit the catalytic activity of p110 alpha. Using size exclusion chromatography and co-immunoprecipitation, we demonstrate that the PI3K is recruited into a scaffolding complex containing PAR-2 and beta-arrestins. Inhibition of PI3K activity blocks PAR-2-stimulated chemotaxis, and beta-arrestin-1 colocalizes with p85 within the pseudopodia, suggesting that beta-arrestin-1 association with PI3K may spatially restrict its enzymatic activity and that this localized inhibition may be crucial for PAR-2-stimulated chemotaxis.