Agonist pharmacology of neonatal and adult glycine receptor alpha subunits: identification of amino acid residues involved in taurine activation.

The inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) is a pentameric chloride channel protein which mediates postsynaptic inhibition in the mammalian central nervous system. In spinal cord, different GlyR isoforms originate from the sequential expression of developmentally regulated variants of the ligand binding alpha subunit. Here, neonatal alpha 2 and adult alpha 1 subunits are shown to generate GlyRs with distinct agonist activation profiles upon heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes. Whereas alpha 1 receptors are efficiently gated by beta-alanine and taurine, alpha 2 GlyRs show only a low relative response to these agonists, which also display a reduced sensitivity to inhibition by the glycinergic antagonist strychnine. Construction of an alpha 2/alpha 1 subunit chimera and site-directed mutagenesis of the extracellular region of the alpha 1 sequence identified amino acid positions 111 and 212 as important determinants of taurine activation. Our results indicate the existence of distinct subsites for agonists on alpha 1 and alpha 2 GlyRs and suggest that the ligand binding pocket of these receptor proteins is formed from discontinuous domains of their extracellular region.     

The importance of G-protein beta lambda subunits

As the properties of more and more isoforms of the molecules involved in G-protein-mediated signal transduction pathways are unravelled, surprising diversity and versatility are being revealed. The path from receptor to effector is not dictated exclusively by the alpha subunits of heterotrimetric G proteins. The nature of the beta lambda subunit complex probably controls interactions of G(alpha) with receptors. In addition, dissociation of G(alpha)-GTP from G(beta lambda)provides two signalling complexes, and these proteins regulate effectors independently or synergistically. Synergistic or conditional regulation of effectors by G(alpha) and G(beta lambda)can provide a molecular signal that records the association of independent events.     

Expression and potential functions of G-protein alpha subunits in embryos of Xenopus laevis.

During early embryonic development, many inductive interactions between tissues depend on signal transduction processes. We began to test the possibility that G-proteins participate in the signal transduction pathways that mediate neural induction. The expression during Xenopus development of three G alpha subunits, G alpha 0, G alpha i-1 and G alpha s-1, was characterized. The three maternally expressed genes showed different expression patterns during early development. Whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that all three genes were expressed almost exclusively in the gastrula ectoderm and predominantly in the neuroectoderm in the neurula embryo. In order to investigate the involvement of these proteins in neural induction, we overexpressed the G-protein alpha subunits by injecting the G alpha mRNAs into fertilized eggs. Overexpression of G alpha s-1 increased the ability of gastrula ectoderm to become induced to neural tissue approximately four-fold. Overexpression of G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 had less pronounced effects on neural competence, and inhibition of the G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 proteins by pertussis toxin did not change the neural competence of the exposed gastrula ectoderm. Overexpression of the G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 genes did, however, inhibit the normal disappearance of the blastocoel during gastrulation, suggesting a role for these G-proteins in regulating this process. The data also suggest a specific role for the G alpha s subunit in mediating the initial phases of neural induction.     

Human thyrotropin and its alpha and beta subunits.

A new procedure is described for the isolation of human thyrotropin using ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration only. Thyroid stimulating activity of the final preparation of our human thyrotropin amounted to 0.5 IU/mg by bioassay. The alpha and beta subunit of the hormone were also obtained by a new procedure. In this method the native hormone was incubated in an acidified 8 M urea solution and the chains were then separated by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The amino-terminal residues of the alpha and beta chains were valine and phenylalanine respectively. The beta chain appears shorter at its carboxy-terminal end by one methionine residue than its bovine counterpart. Cross-contamination of the subunit preparations were measured by radioimmunoassay. The beta chain exhibited a contamination of about 3 percent of the alpha subunit by weight. The alpha subunit is contaminated by about one percent of the beta chain by weight.     

G-protein beta gamma forms: identity of beta and diversity of gamma subunits

Signal-transducing G-proteins are heterotrimers composed of GTP-binding alpha subunits in association with a tightly bound complex of beta and gamma subunits. While the alpha subunits are recognized as a family of diverse structures, beta and gamma subunits have also been found as heterogeneous isoforms. To investigate the diversity and tissue specificity of the beta gamma complexes, we have examined homogeneous oligomeric G-proteins from a variety of sources. The beta and gamma subunits isolated from the major-abundance G-proteins from bovine brain, bovine retina, rabbit liver, human placenta, and human platelets were purified and subjected to biochemical and immunological analysis. Protease mapping and immune recognition revealed an identical profile for each of the two distinctly migrating beta isoforms (beta 36 and beta 35) regardless of tissue or G-protein origin. Digestion with V8 protease revealed four distinct, clearly resolved terminal fragments for beta 36 and two for beta 35. Trypsin and chymotrypsin digestion yielded numerous bands, but again each form had a unique profile with no tissue specificity. Tryptic digestion was found to be conformationally specific with the most resistant structure being the native beta gamma complex. With increasing trypsin, the complex was digested but in a pattern distinct from that for denatured beta. In contrast to the two highly homologous beta structures, examination of this set of proteins revealed at least six distinct gamma peptides. Two unique gamma peptides were found in bovine retinal Gt and three gamma peptides in samples of bovine brain derived Go/Gi. Human placental and platelet Gi samples each contained a unique gamma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Identification of proteins resembling G-protein alpha subunits in locust muscle

In locust skeletal muscle, FMRFamide-like peptides decrease a K+ conductance. Functional data suggest the involvement of G-proteins. For identification of G-protein alpha-subunits, membranes of locust skeletal muscle were probed with ADP-ribosylating bacterial toxins, the photoreactive GTP analog, [alpha-32P]GTP azidoanilide, and with antibodies against mammalian alpha-subunits. Multiple guanine nucleotide-binding proteins of approximately 24-95 kDa were detected. Pertussis toxin catalyzed the ADP-ribosylation of two proteins comigrating with the ADP-ribosylated alpha-subunits of the mammalian G-proteins Go and Gi. Cholera toxin promoted ADP-ribosylation of a protein comigrating with mammalian cholera toxin substrates (i.e., Gs alpha-subunits). An antibody against mammalian Go alpha-subunits detected a 54-kDa protein. Thus proteins with properties of mammalian G-protein subunits are present in insect muscle.     

Activation of cytosolic phosphoinositide phospholipase C by G-protein beta gamma subunits.

Bovine liver cytosol contains a phosphoinositide phospholipase C (PLCcyt) that is activated by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S)-activated G-proteins from liver plasma membranes. Heparin-Sepharose chromatography indicated that PLCcyt was immunologically distinct from PLC-beta 1, PLC-gamma 1, or PLC-delta 1 from brain. Initial purification of the GTP gamma S-activated G-proteins that stimulated PLCcyt indicated that the beta gamma complex was responsible. G-proteins were subsequently extracted from liver membranes as heterotrimers and purified in the presence of AlCl3, MgCl2, and NaF to allow reversible activation. Immunoblot analysis with an antiserum selective for the beta subunit showed that the stimulatory activity corresponded with the presence of this protein at every chromatographic step. When liver beta gamma complex was purified and separated from all detectable alpha subunits, as shown by immunoblotting and silver staining, it strongly stimulated PLCcyt after removal of the activating ligand [AlF4]- by gel filtration. beta gamma prepared from brain was approximately equipotent with that from liver. beta gamma was half-maximally effective at 33 nM and produced a maximal 50-fold activation of the PLC. Under identical conditions, beta gamma had no effect on brain PLC-gamma 1 or PLC-delta 1 and produced a 2-fold stimulation of PLC-beta 1 activity. Addition of purified GDP-bound alpha o, which had no effect by itself, completely reversed the beta gamma activation of PLCcyt, confirming that beta gamma was the active species. These data provide evidence for a novel mechanism by which beta gamma subunits of pertussis toxin-sensitive or -insensitive G-proteins activate phospholipase C.     

Restricted spatial and temporal expression of G-protein alpha subunits during Drosophila embryogenesis.

Of the known signal transduction mechanisms, the most evolutionarily ancient is mediated by a family of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins or G proteins. In simple organisms, this form of sensory transduction is used exclusively to convey signals of developmental consequence. In metazoan organisms, however, the developmental role of G-protein-coupled sensory transduction has been more difficult to elucidate because of the wide variety of signals (peptides, small molecules, odorants, hormones, etc.) that use this form of sensory transduction. We have begun to examine the role of G-protein-coupled signaling during development by investigating the expression during Drosophila embryogenesis of a limited set of G proteins. Since these proteins are a common component of all G-protein-coupled signaling systems, their developmental pattern of expression should indicate when and where programmed changes in gene activity are initiated by, or involve the participation of, G-protein-coupled signaling events. We have focused on the spatial and temporal expression pattern of three different Drosophila G-protein alpha subunits by northern blot analysis, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry using antibodies directed to peptides specifically found in each alpha subunit. From the spatial and temporal restriction of the expression of each protein, our results suggest that different forms of G-protein-coupled sensory transduction may mediate developmental interactions during both early and late stages of embryogenesis and may participate in a variety of specific developmental processes such as the establishment of embryonic position, the ontogeny of the nervous system and organogenesis.     

In vitro isoprenylation and membrane association of mouse rod photoreceptor cGMP phosphodiesterase alpha and beta subunits expressed in bacteria.

We investigated the specificity of CAAX box-related isoprenylation of rod photoreceptor cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) subunits expressed in bacteria and the consequences of this modification on rod disk membrane association. Full-length cDNA sequences of the alpha and beta subunits of mouse PDE, inserted into bacterial pET expression vectors, were overexpressed as fusion proteins containing 28 (bMP-alpha) and 26 (bMP-beta) additional amino acid residues at their N termini. Both fusion proteins were overexpressed and stored in inclusion bodies. Purified bMP-alpha and bMP-beta were recognized by bovine PDE-specific polyclonal antibodies, but did not associate with depleted rod disk membranes and were catalytically inactive. Using bovine brain or retina extracts as sources of protein prenyltransferases and tritiated farnesyl- or geranylgeranylpyrophosphate as donors, bMP-alpha (CAAX sequence CCIQ) was exclusively farnesylated, and bMP-beta (CAAX sequence CCIL) was exclusively geranylgeranylated. After isoprenylation, bMP-alpha and bMP-beta each associated with rod photoreceptor outer segment disk membranes under isotonic, but not under hypotonic, conditions. The results indicate that isoprenylated bMP-alpha and bMP-beta each interact independently with membranes and that isoprenylation is the key modification that facilitates membrane association.     

Subunit interaction in tryptophan synthase of Escherichia coli: calorimetric studies on association of alpha and beta 2 subunits.

Association of the apo-beta 2 and the holo-(beta-PLP)2 subunits of tryptophan synthase from Escherichia coli (L-serine hydro-lyase (adding indole) (EC 4.2.1.20)) with alpha subunits of the same enzyme has been studied by microcalorimetry. The results obtained from thermometric titrations clearly demonstrate that only the native complex alpha2beta 2 is formed, independent of an excess of alpha protein. The reaction of the holo-(beta-PLP)2 with alpha subunits at 25 degrees C is accompanied by a negative enthalpy change, which is almost twice as large as that for complex formation with the apo-beta 2 protein, thus indicating that the interaction enthalpy becomes more favorable in the presence of the coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP). Both reaction enthalpies show very large negative temperature coefficients, -3600 +/- 100 cal K-1 (Mol of beta 2)-1 being the value for the formation of the apoenzyme and -2300 +/- 100 cal K-1 (mol of beta 2)-1 pertaining to formation of the holoenzyme. The studies on the association of alpha and beta2 subunits in the two buffers revealed that at 25 degrees C approximately 0.75 proton are absorbed in the presence and absence of the coenzyme, whereas at 35 degrees C one proton is taken up from the solution when PLP is present, but two if the apo-beta 2 complex reacts. These results are a clear indication of energetic linkage between intersubunit interaction, hydrogen ion equilibria, and the binding of the coenzyme.     

The GAPs, GEFs, and GDIs of heterotrimeric G-protein alpha subunits

The heterotrimeric G-protein alpha subunit has long been considered a bimodal, GTP-hydrolyzing switch controlling the duration of signal transduction by seven-transmembrane domain (7TM) cell-surface receptors. In 1996, we and others identified a superfamily of "regulator of G-protein signaling" (RGS) proteins that accelerate the rate of GTP hydrolysis by Galpha subunits (dubbed GTPase-accelerating protein or "GAP" activity). This discovery resolved the paradox between the rapid physiological timing seen for 7TM receptor signal transduction in vivo and the slow rates of GTP hydrolysis exhibited by purified Galpha subunits in vitro. Here, we review more recent discoveries that have highlighted newly-appreciated roles for RGS proteins beyond mere negative regulators of 7TM signaling. These new roles include the RGS-box-containing, RhoA-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RGS-RhoGEFs) that serve as Galpha effectors to couple 7TM and semaphorin receptor signaling to RhoA activation, the potential for RGS12 to serve as a nexus for signaling from tyrosine kinases and G-proteins of both the Galpha and Ras-superfamilies, the potential for R7-subfamily RGS proteins to couple Galpha subunits to 7TM receptors in the absence of conventional Gbetagamma dimers, and the potential for the conjoint 7TM/RGS-box Arabidopsis protein AtRGS1 to serve as a ligand-operated GAP for the plant Galpha AtGPA1. Moreover, we review the discovery of novel biochemical activities that also impinge on the guanine nucleotide binding and hydrolysis cycle of Galpha subunits: namely, the guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) activity of the GoLoco motif-containing proteins and the 7TM receptor-independent guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity of Ric8/synembryn. Discovery of these novel GAP, GDI, and GEF activities have helped to illuminate a new role for Galpha subunit GDP/GTP cycling required for microtubule force generation and mitotic spindle function in chromosomal segregation.     

Porcine thyrotropin. The amino-acid sequence of the alpha and beta subunits.

The amino acid sequences of both the alpha and beta subunits of porcine thyrotropin have been studied. Bovine thyrotropin primary structure was taken as a model for ordering the tryptic peptides of porcine thyrotropin. The amino acid sequence of the alpha subunit is identical to that of porcine luteinizing hormone, while oligosaccharide side-chains differ in composition. The primary structure of the beta subunit differs from that of bovine thyrotropin by six amino acid replacements, in positions 22, 24, 26, 36, 62 and 69, and by the absence of a methionyl residue at the carboxy terminus. Chemical evolutions of thyrotropin and luteinizing hormone are compared.     

Differences in local conformation around cysteine residues in alpha alpha, alpha beta, and beta beta rabbit skeletal tropomyosin

The ability of 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoate (Nbs2) to form a disulfide crosslink between the Cys-190s of the alpha alpha and alpha beta molecular components of rabbit skeletal tropomyosin (Tm) and the Cys-36s and Cys-190s of purified beta beta was studied in separate experiments, as a function of urea concentration in 0.5 M NaCl, 20 mM 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid, pH 7.4, 15 degrees C. In the absence of urea, complete reaction of the Cys-190s of Tm with Nbs2 as well as with 2- and 4-pyridine disulfide quantitatively produced two crosslinked species, alpha-alpha and alpha-beta, in a 60/40 ratio, respectively, visualized as bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels; similar reactions of beta beta produced both doubly (at Cys-36 and Cys-190) and singly crosslinked species (at Cys-190 as identified by amino acid analysis of separated tryptic peptides). In the presence of 4 M urea where the chains were unfolded and separated, only Nbs-blocked uncrosslinked species were obtained after complete reaction with Nbs2. The loss of Nbs2-crosslinking at increasing [urea] showed that the relative stability of the Cys-containing regions of the three species of Tm, alpha alpha, alpha beta, and beta beta increases in the order Cys-36 of beta beta, Cys-190 of alpha beta, Cys-190 of alpha alpha.     

Origin of the mutual activation of the alpha and beta 2 subunits in the alpha 2 beta 2 complex of tryptophan synthase. Effect of alanine or glycine substitutions at proline residues in the alpha subunit.

To understand how the alpha and beta 2 subunits of tryptophan synthase from Escherichia coli interact to form an alpha 2 beta 2 complex and undergo mutual activation, we have investigated alpha subunits with single amino acid replacements at conserved proline residues. Although the activities of alpha 2 beta 2 complexes that contain wild type alpha subunit or alpha subunits substituted at positions 28, 62, 96, and 207 are similar, the activities of alpha 2 beta 2 complexes that contain alpha subunits substituted at positions 57 and 132 are remarkably altered. Whereas the latter enzymes have greatly reduced activities in the individual half-reactions, they have considerably higher activities in the overall reaction. These remarkable activity results are explained by a decrease in the affinity of these mutant alpha subunits for the beta 2 subunit and by an increase in the affinity in the combined presence of ligands of both the alpha subunit and the beta 2 subunit. Isothermal calorimetric titrations of wild type beta 2 subunit with wild type alpha subunit and a mutant alpha subunit containing a substitution of glycine for proline at position 132 show that both the affinity and the exothermic association enthalpy are greatly reduced in the mutant alpha subunit although the stoichiometry of association is unchanged. The affinity of the mutant alpha subunit for the beta 2 subunits is greatly increased in the presence of an alpha subunit ligand, alpha-glycerol phosphate. We conclude that proline 132 plays a critical role in subunit interaction and in mutual subunit activation.     

A novel strategy to engineer functional fluorescent inhibitory G-protein alpha subunits

Signaling studies in living cells would be greatly facilitated by the development of functional fluorescently tagged G-protein alpha subunits. We have designed G(i/o)alpha subunits fused to the cyan fluorescent protein and assayed their function by studying the following two signal transduction pathways: the regulation of G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K(+) channels (Kir3.0 family) and adenylate cyclase. Palmitoylation and myristoylation consensus sites were removed from G(i/o) alpha subunits (G(i1)alpha, G(i2)alpha, G(i3)alpha, and G(oA)alpha) and a mutation introduced at Cys(-4) rendering the subunit resistant to pertussis toxin. This construct was fused in-frame with cyan fluorescent protein containing a short peptide motif from GAP43 that directs palmitoylation and thus membrane targeting. Western blotting confirmed G(i/o)alpha protein expression. Confocal microscopy and biochemical fractionation studies revealed membrane localization. Each mutant G(i/o) alpha subunit significantly reduced basal current density when transiently expressed in a stable cell line expressing Kir3.1 and Kir3.2A, consistent with the sequestration of the Gbetagamma dimer by the mutant Galpha subunit. Moreover, each subunit was able to support A1-mediated and D2S-mediated channel activation when transiently expressed in pertussis toxin-treated cells. Overexpression of tagged G(i3)alpha and G(oA)alpha alpha subunits reduced receptor-mediated and forskolin-induced cAMP mobilization.     

A Phytophthora infestans G-protein beta subunit is involved in sporangium formation

The heterotrimeric G-protein pathway regulates cellular responses to a wide range of extracellular signals in virtually all eukaryotes. It also controls various developmental processes in the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans, as was concluded from previous studies on the role of the G-protein α-subunit PiGPA1 in this organism. The expression of the P. infestans G-protein β-subunit gene Pigpb1 was induced in nutrient-starved mycelium before the onset of sporangium formation. The gene was hardly expressed in mycelium incubated in rich growth medium. The introduction of additional copies of Pigpb1 into the genome led to silencing of the gene and resulted in transformants deficient in PiGPB1. These Pigpb1-silenced mutants formed very few asexual spores (sporangia) when cultured in rye sucrose medium and produced a denser mat of aerial mycelium than the wild type. Partially Pigpb1-silenced mutants showed intermediate phenotypes with regard to sporulation, and a relatively large number of their sporangia were malformed. The results show that PiGPB1 is important for vegetative growth and sporulation and, therefore, for the pathogenicity of this organism.     

Covalent binding of 3'-O-(4-benzoyl)benzoyl adenosine 5'-triphosphate (BzATP) to the isolated alpha and beta subunits and the alpha 3 beta 3 core complex of TF1. Covalent binding of BzATP prevents association of alpha and beta subunits and induces dissociation of the alpha 3 beta 3 core complex.

Binding of the photoreactive ATP analog, 3'-O-(4-benzoyl)benzoyl adenosine 5'-triphosphate (BzATP), to the isolated alpha and beta subunits of TF1 and to the alpha 3 beta 3 "core" complex of the holoenzyme is described. About 1 mol of BzATP/mol of subunit was incorporated to isolated alpha and beta subunits. The incorporation of BzATP was prevented by ATP. Covalent binding of BzATP to the alpha subunit was in general somewhat lower than that observed with the beta subunit. No complex was formed upon mixing of either of the modified subunits with the complementary nontreated subunits. Covalent binding of 3 mol of BzATP/alpha 3 beta 3 complex completely inhibited ATPase activity and resulted in the dissociation of the complex. The labeled nucleotide analog was specifically incorporated into the beta subunit of the complex. The holoenzyme TF1, in contrast to the core complex, did not dissociate to the individual subunits upon covalent binding of BzATP. These results are discussed in relation to the location of the catalytic nucleotide binding site(s) and the conformation stability of the alpha 3 beta 3 core complex of TF1.