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Sci. STKE, 6 January 2004
Vol. 2004, Issue 214, p. tw2
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.2142004tw2]

EDITORS' CHOICE

G PROTEINS Activation Without Dissociation

Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), Bünemann et al. observed that the heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) did not dissociate upon activation. This is contrary to the dogma that states that activation of the G{alpha} subunit by binding of guanosine triphosphate causes dissociation of the {alpha} and ß{gamma} subunits. Fusion proteins between modified green fluorescent proteins and G{alpha}i1 and Gß1 or G{gamma}2 were expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. Surprisingly, the FRET signal detectable with either the labeled {gamma} and {alpha} or ß and {alpha} subunits increased upon stimulation of heterologously expressed adrenergic receptors. To confirm that the subunits underwent a rearrangement that caused the N termini of the {gamma}ß subunits to move closer to the {alpha}AB loop of G{alpha}i, the authors constructed another fusion protein, cyan fluorescent protein attached to the C terminus of the G{gamma}2, that showed a decrease in FRET when stimulated. The functional coupling of the fluorescent fusion proteins was tested, and all except the C-terminally tagged {gamma} subunit G proteins were able to stimulate the G protein-activated inwardly rectifying K+ channel. Thus, at least for Gi heterotrimers activated by {alpha}2-adrenergic receptors, G protein activation does not involve dissociation of the heterotrimer.

M. Bünemann, M. Frank, M. J. Lohse, Gi protein activation in intact cells involves subunit rearrangement rather than dissociation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 16077-16082 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: Activation Without Dissociation. Sci. STKE 2004, tw2 (2004).


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