Presence of beta-arrestin-1 immunoreactivity in the cutaneous nerve fibers of rat glabrous skin.

beta-Arrestin-1 (betaArr1) plays a major role in the desensitization and internalization of G protein-coupled receptors. We previously localized betaArr1 in the sensory neurons of rat lumbar 4 and 5 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and reported the predominant presence of betaArr1 in the small-diameter DRG neurons that are often implicated with nociception. Because of betaArr1's crucial role in regulating the initiation of cellular signaling, in the current study we evaluated the distribution of betaArr1 in the peripheral sensory terminals where various receptors are present.