| Background |
PAR2 (F2RL1) belongs to the PAR (Protease-activated Receptor) family of G protein-coupled receptors. These membrane receptors are activated through N-terminal cleavage of the receptor by a serine protease such as thrombin, trypsin, or matrix metalloproteinases. This cleavage exposes the ‘tethered-ligand’ fragment of the receptor, which binds to a second extracellular loop of the receptor and leads to receptor activation. PAR2 is specifically activated by trypsin or trypsin-like proteases. Activated PAR2 stimulates phosphoinositide hydrolysis and calcium mobilization, interacts with β-arrestin, and eventually leads to ERK activation. PAR2 expression and activation are mainly associated with inflammatory diseases, but may also play a role in cancer development.
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