Family Of Guanine Nucleotide-binding Proteins Research Articles

ADP-Ribosylation Factor Family of Small GTP-Binding Proteins: Their Membrane Recruitment, Activation, Crosstalk and Functions.

Members of the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) family of guanine-nucleotide binding proteins play critical roles in various cellular processes, especially in regulating the secretory, and endocytic pathways. The fidelity of intracellular vesicular trafficking depends on proper activations and precise subcellular distributions of ARF family proteins regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Here we review recent progress in understanding the membrane recruitment, activation, crosstalk, and functions of ARF family proteins.

Morphine-induced place preference affects mRNA expression of G protein α subunits in rat brain

BackgroundThe conditioned place preference (CPP) test is an animal model serving to assess addictive potential of drugs in which environmental cues become associated with the subjective effects of drugs of abuse. Morphine, a known addictive drug, is an agonist of opioid receptors that couple to the G(i/o) family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (GP). We have recently found that chronic treatment with morphine affects mRNA levels of GPs that are not coupled to opioid receptors (OR). Therefore, in this study, we investigated the influence of morphine-induced CPP on mRNA expression of the Gα subunits, G(i/o), G(s), G(q/11), and G(12), in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) using standard PCR techniques. MethodsCPP and NO-CPP experiments were conducted; Wistar rats were either subjected to the standard CPP procedure or were injected with morphine (or saline) in their home cage. All rats were decapitated 24h after the last injection. ResultsWe found that mRNA levels of Gα(q), Gα(11) and Gα(12) were increased after morphine in non-conditioned treatment in the PFC but remained unchanged in the NAc. In rats showing conditioned place preference to morphine, levels of Gα(i2) in the PFC and levels of Gα(oA) in the NAc were diminished by ~58% and ~30%, respectively (p<0.05 vs. saline), but levels of Gα(s-l) in NAc were increased (~60%, p=0.05). ConclusionOur data indicate that only G(i/o) and G(s) were specifically changed in animals after morphine-induced CPP, thus suggesting that the effect was related to learning environmental cues associated with morphine.

Deregulation of Signaling Pathways in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), aberrant signal transduction enhances the survival and proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Activation of signal transduction in AML may occur through a variety of genetic alterations affecting different signaling molecules, such as the FLT3 and KIT receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and members of the RAS family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. These mutant signaling proteins are attractive therapeutic targets; however, developing targeted therapies for each genotypic variant and determining the relationships between different genotypes and critical functional dependencies of the leukemic cells remain major challenges. As the large number of mutant signaling proteins that have been identified in AML are likely to reflect activation of a more limited number of downstream effector pathways, such as the RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT cascades, targeting these unifying pathways may represent a more broadly applicable therapeutic strategy. Furthermore, integrative genomic studies combining DNA sequencing, DNA copy number analysis, transcriptional profiling, and functional genetic approaches hold great promise for identifying additional signaling abnormalities in AML that are relevant to leukemogenesis and can be exploited therapeutically. Eventually, it may become possible to use pathogenesis-oriented combinations of signal transduction inhibitors to improve the cure rate in AML patients.

Blocking the immune response in ischemic acute kidney injury: the role of adenosine 2A agonists

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with a high degree of morbidity and mortality and its incidence is increasing. These factors, together with a lack of successful clinical trials, necessitate a comprehensive evaluation of the pathogenesis of AKI and trial design. The progress that has been made in elucidating the pathogenesis of AKI has defined inflammation as an early event and therefore a potential target for therapeutic intervention. This Review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the role of inflammation in AKI as well as our approach to limiting inflammation using compounds that stimulate adenosine 2A receptors (A(2A)Rs). A(2A)Rs are members of a family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that have become a focus of interest primarily because of their ability to broadly inactivate the inflammatory cascade. An A(2A) agonist-ATL146 ester (ATL146e)-is currently being tested in a phase III clinical trial as a pharmacological stress agent in cardiac perfusion imaging studies. This study, together with extensively published preclinical data, will facilitate testing of ATL146e in human trials of AKI.

Borg/Septin Interactions and the Assembly of Mammalian Septin Heterodimers, Trimers, and Filaments

Septins constitute a family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that were first discovered in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae but are also present in many other eukaryotes. In yeast they congregate at the bud neck and are required for cell division. Their function in metazoan cells is uncertain, but they have been implicated in exocytosis and cytokinesis. Septins have been purified from cells as hetero-oligomeric filaments, but their mechanism of assembly is unknown. Further studies have been limited by the difficulty in expressing functional septin proteins in bacteria. We now show that stable, soluble septin heterodimers can be produced by co-expression from bicistronic vectors in bacteria and that the co-expression of three septins results in their assembly into filaments. Pre-assembled dimers and trimers bind guanine nucleotide and show a slow GTPase activity. The assembly of a heterodimer from monomers in vitro is accompanied by GTP hydrolysis. Borg3, a downstream effector of the Cdc42 GTPase, binds specifically to a septin heterodimer composed of Sept6 and Sept7 and to the Sept2/6/7 trimer, but not to septin monomers or to other heterodimers. Septins associate through their C-terminal coiled-coil domains, and Borg3 appears to recognize the interface between these domains in Sept6 and Sept7.

Localization of ADP-ribosylation factor domain protein 1 (ARD1) in lysosomes and Golgi apparatus.

ADP-ribosylation factor domain protein 1 (ARD1) is a member of the ADP ribosylation factor (ARF) family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that differs from other ARFs by the presence of a 46-kDa amino-terminal extension which acts as a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for its ARF domain. Similar to ARF GAPs, the GAP domain of ARD1 contains a zinc finger motif and arginine residues that are critical for activity. It differs from other ARF GAPs in its covalent association with the GTP-binding domain and its specificity for the ARF domain of ARD1. ARFs are presumed to play a key role in the formation of intracellular transport vesicles and in their movement from one compartment to another. We report here that ARD1 overexpressed in cells, as a fusion or nonfusion protein, is localized in vesicular structures that are concentrated mainly in the perinuclear region, but are found also throughout the cytosol. Microscopic colocalization and subcellular fractionation studies showed that ARD1 was associated with the Golgi complex and lysosomal structures. ARD1 expressed as a green fluorescent fusion protein was initially associated with the Golgi network and subsequently localized to lysosomes. Lysosomal and Golgi membranes isolated from human liver by immunoaffinity contained native ARD1. Localization to these organelles, therefore, did not appear to be a result of overexpression. These observations suggest that the ARF-related protein ARD1 may play a role in the formation or function of lysosomes and in protein trafficking between Golgi and lysosomes.

Assignment of Human ADP Ribosylation Factor (ARF) Genes ARF1 and ARF3 to Chromosomes 1q42 and 12q13, Respectively

This report describes the localization of two ADP ribosylation factor (ARF) genes, ARF1 and ARF3, to human chromosomes 1q42 and 12q13, respectively, using fluorescence in situ hybridization and PCR screening with a hybrid cell panel. ARFs are a family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins which are responsible for the vesicular transport of newly synthesized proteins. 14 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Activation of cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat‐labile enterotoxins by ADP‐ribosylation factors, a family of 20 kDa guanine nucleotide‐binding proteins

Cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxins are responsible, in part, for the symptomatology of cholera and traveller's diarrhoea, respectively. Effects of the toxins result from ADP-ribosylation of regulatory guanine nucleotide-binding (G) proteins; the ADP-ribosylated G protein is stabilized in an activated state, resulting in prolonged effects on its target. Toxin-catalysed ADP-ribosylation is stimulated in vitro by a family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, c. 20 kDa, termed ADP-ribosylation factors or ARFs. In the presence of GTP, but not GDP or adenine analogues, ARFs serve as allosteric activators of the toxin. The effects are amplified by certain phospholipids and detergents which promote guanine nucleotide binding. Six different mammalian ARF genes have been identified. They encode highly conserved, ubiquitous proteins of 175 to 181 amino acids, containing consensus domains responsible for guanine nucleotide binding. Differences in amino acid sequences are localized near the amino terminus and in the carboxy half of the protein. Although the physiological functions of ARFs have not been precisely defined, their immunological localization to the Golgi is consistent with a role in the regulated orderly movement of newly synthesized proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum, through the Golgi system to their ultimate destination.

Inhibition of transducin activation and guanosine triphosphatase activity by aluminum ion

Aluminum ion perturbs the activity of a number of physiologically important enzymes, including members of a family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins). G-proteins couple cellular receptor proteins to a variety of effector enzymes (including adenylate cyclase, phospholipase C, and the rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase). We show herein that subnanomolar concentrations of free aluminum ion, produced in a carefully defined and kinetically stable manner through the buffering of total aluminum at 0.1-1.0 mM with calculated ratios of chelating agents, inhibit both the receptor-mediated activation and the self-inactivating GTPase activity of the rod photoreceptor G-protein, Gv. In the presence of 4 X 10(-10) M free aluminum ion, GTPase activity is inhibited from about 25-60% as the magnesium ion concentration is reduced from 10(-3) to about 5 X 10(-5) M. The principal effect of aluminum ion upon Gv is to inhibit receptor catalyzed nucleotide exchange. Binding of the GTP analog 5'-guanylyl imidodiphosphate can be reduced by as much as 90% by aluminum ion following subsaturating rhodopsin stimulation. Aluminum ion can produce either competitive or mixed noncompetitive inhibition of rhodopsin-catalyzed Gv activation and GTPase activity, as a function of whether Gv undergoes single (competitive), or multiple (mixed noncompetitive) nucleotide exchanges. The rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase is only slightly inhibited by similar aluminum ion activities. Light- and Gv-coupled phosphodiesterase activation exhibits both a lower maximum rate of cyclic guanosine monophosphate hydrolysis and a slower inactivation in the presence of aluminum ion activities from about 10(-12) - 10(-10) M. These data suggest that intracellular free aluminum ion concentrations in the subnanomolar range could markedly affect the ability of cells to transduce extracellular signals. Interestingly, the combination of Al3+ and F- to produce the fluoro-aluminate species (AlFx) also inhibits the GTPase of G-proteins, although the mechanism of inhibition (e.g. binding to the G-protein.Mg2+.GDP complex) is totally distinct from that observed for free Al3+ and the overall effect on signal transduction (e.g. enhanced signal amplification) is in complete opposition to that observed for free Al3+.

Guanidine nucleotide binding proteins as membrane signal transduction components and regulators of enzymatic effectors

The vast majority of extracellular signals alters cell function by activating cell surface receptors. The transmembranous signalling process initiated by an activated receptor leads to the generation of an intracellular signal and eventually to a cellular response. In contrast to receptors that are permanently coupled to an enzyme or an ion channel representing the effector, a large number of surface receptors for hormones, neurotransmitters and receptors for exogenous chemical or physical stimuli reversibly interacts with membranous signal transduction components which, in turn, regulate intracellular messenger-generating effectors. The transducer molecules isolated so far form a family of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G- or N-proteins). All isolated G-proteins are composed of three different subunits (alpha, beta, gamma). The alpha-subunit, which is specific for the individual G-protein, binds and hydrolyzes GTP and is target of ADP-ribosylating bacterial toxins. Hormone-induced activation of a receptor causes interaction with the alpha-subunit of a G-protein and the exchange of bound GDP with GTP. The GTP-bound form of the alpha-subunit represents the active form of the G-protein, which is capable of stimulating or inhibiting the respective effector. The active state of the alpha-subunit is terminated by its inherent GTPase activity causing hydrolysis of bound GTP. The beta gamma-complexes of G-proteins are structurally very similar and functionally interchangeable; they appear to dissociate from the alpha-subunits during receptor activation of the G-protein. Possible functions of the beta gamma-complex are to anchor the non-activated G-protein in the membrane, to facilitate G-protein-receptor interaction, and to promote the inactive state of the alpha-subunit. G-protein-regulated effectors include enzymes, ion channels and probably transporters. The best studied G-protein-regulated enzyme is the retinal cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase which is activated by bleached rhodopsin via the tissue-specific G-protein, termed transducin. The ubiquitously occurring membrane-bound adenylate cyclase is under dual control by families of stimulatory and inhibitory receptors, acting via G-proteins called Gs and Gi, respectively. Moreover, the receptor control of phospholipases A2 and C and probably of phospholipase D most likely involves G-proteins which have not yet been identified. Finally, the activity of NADPH oxidase of neutrophils and that of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases in liver and fat cells may be regulated via G-proteins. Modulations of non-enzymatic effectors are reviewed elsewhere.

Role of a guanine nucleotide-binding protein in alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in DDT1 MF-2 cells.

In this study the mechanisms involved in alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-mediated Ca2+ mobilization at the level of the plasma membrane were investigated. Stimulation of 45Ca2+ efflux from saponin-permeabilized DDT1 MF-2 cells was observed with the addition of either the alpha 1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine and guanosine-5'-triphosphate or the nonhydrolyzable guanine nucleotide guanylyl-imidodiphosphate. In the presence of [32P]NAD, pertussis toxin was found to catalyze ADP-ribosylation of a Mr = 40,500 (n = 8) peptide in membranes prepared from DDT1 MF-2 cells, possibly the alpha-subunit of Ni. However, stimulation of unidirectional 45Ca2+ efflux by phenylephrine was not affected by previous treatment of cells with 100 ng/ml pertussis toxin. These data suggest that the putative guanine nucleotide-binding protein which couples the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor to Ca2+ mobilization in DDT1 MF-2 cells is not a pertussis toxin substrate and may possibly be an additional member of the guanine nucleotide binding protein family.