Vsevolod V. Gurevich
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) and arrestins play a critical role in the regulation of GPCR signalling. Historic names of mammalian GRKs were replaced by systematic ones in the 1990s; however, both kinds of names are currently in use for mammalian arrestins. Here, we describe the history of the discovery of the members of these two protein families, their structure and GPCR-dependent and -independent functions, as well as the origins of their historic names and the advantages of systematic nomenclature.