G protein-coupled receptor-associated sorting proteins: function and relevant disorders.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of membrane protein receptors, can be activated by a variety of ligands and participate in signaling transduction, and they are essential in the physiologic process in vivo. GPCR-associated sorting proteins (GASPs) play an important role in the post-endocytic sorting of GPCRs. They mediate the degradation or recycling pathway, and regulate cell signaling transduction and other biological processes. The functional defects of GASPs have been reported to be implicated in pathogenesis of some neurological diseases, tumors and deafness and so on. In this review, we summarize the GASPs' function, GPCR-GASP interactions, GPCR sorting pathway and GASP-related signaling pathways implicated in the transcriptional regulation. It could help to understand the potential linkage between GASPs' dysfunction and diseases, and provide a new approach and strategy for the treatment of GASP-related diseases.