Galpha12/13- and rho-dependent activation of phospholipase C-epsilon by lysophosphatidic acid and thrombin receptors.

Because phospholipase C epsilon (PLC-epsilon) is activated by Galpha(12/13) and Rho family GTPases, we investigated whether these G proteins contribute to the increased inositol lipid hydrolysis observed in COS-7 cells after activation of certain G protein-coupled receptors. Stimulation of inositol lipid hydrolysis by endogenous lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) or thrombin receptors was markedly enhanced by the expression of PLC-epsilon. Expression of the LPA(1) or PAR1 receptor increased inositol phosphate production in response to LPA or SFLLRN, respectively, and these agonist-stimulated responses were markedly enhanced by coexpression of PLC-epsilon. Both LPA(1) and PAR1 receptor-mediated activation of PLC-epsilon was inhibited by coexpression of the regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain of p115RhoGEF, a GTPase-activating protein for Galpha(12/13) but not by expression of the RGS domain of GRK2, which inhibits Galpha(q) signaling. In contrast, activation of the G(q)-coupled M1 muscarinic or P2Y(2) purinergic receptor was neither enhanced by coexpression with PLC-epsilon nor inhibited by the RGS domain of p115RhoGEF but was blocked by expression of the RGS domain of GRK2. Expression of the Rho inhibitor C3 botulinum toxin did not affect LPA- or SFLLRN-stimulated inositol lipid hydrolysis in the absence of PLC-epsilon but completely prevented the PLC-epsilon-dependent increase in inositol phosphate accumulation. Likewise, C3 toxin blocked the PLC-epsilon-dependent stimulatory effects of the LPA(1), LPA(2), LPA(3), or PAR1 receptor but had no effect on the agonist-promoted inositol phosphate response of the M1 or P2Y(2) receptor. Moreover, PLC-epsilon-dependent stimulation of inositol phosphate accumulation by activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor, which involves Ras- but not Rho-mediated activation of the phospholipase, was unaffected by C3 toxin. These studies illustrate that specific LPA and thrombin receptors promote inositol lipid signaling via activation of Galpha(12/13) and Rho.

The effect of RGS12 on PDGFbeta receptor signalling to p42/p44 mitogen activated protein kinase in mammalian cells.

We have previously shown that the PDGFbeta receptor uses a classical GPCR-mediated pathway in order to induce efficient activation of p42/p44 MAPK in response to PDGF. We therefore, considered the possibility that GTPase accelerating proteins (RGS proteins), which regulate GPCR signalling, modulate PDGFbeta receptor-mediated signal transmission. Several lines of evidence were obtained to support functional interaction between the PDGFbeta receptor and RGS12 in HEK 293 and airway smooth muscle cells. Firstly, the over-expression of the RGS12 PDZ/PTB domain N-terminus or RGS12 PTB domain reduced the PDGF-induced activation of p42/p44 MAPK. Secondly, the RGS12 PDZ/PTB domain N-terminus and RGS12 PDZ domain can form a complex with the PDGFbeta receptor. Therefore, the results presented here provide the first evidence to support the concept that the PDZ/PTB domain N-terminus and/or the PTB domain of RGS12 may modulate PDGFbeta receptor signalling. In airway smooth muscle cells, over-expressed recombinant RGS12 and the isolated PDZ/PTB domain N-terminus co-localised with PDGFbeta receptor in cytoplasmic vesicles. To provide additional evidence for a role of the PDZ/PTB domain N-terminus, we used RGS14. RGS14 has the same C-terminal domain architecture of an RGS box, tandem Ras-binding domains (RBDs) and GoLoco motif as RGS12, but lacks the PDZ/PTB domain N-terminus. In this regard, RGS14 exhibited a different sub-cellular distribution compared with RGS12, being diffusely distributed in ASM cells. These findings suggest that RGS12 via its PDZ/PTB domain N-terminus may regulate trafficking of the PDGFbeta receptor in ASM cells.

Differential expression of regulator of G-protein signaling R12 subfamily members during mouse development.

Regulators of G-protein Signaling (RGS proteins) are a multigene family of GTPase-accelerating proteins for the Galpha subunit of heterotrimeric G-proteins. The mammalian R12 RGS protein subfamily is composed of RGS12 and RGS14, two proteins characterized by their multidomain architecture of hallmark RGS domain, tandem Ras-binding domains (RBDs), and a second Galpha interacting domain, the GoLoco motif. The Rgs12 gene generates multiple splice variants, the largest of which encodes N-terminal PDZ and PTB domains in addition to the core RGS/RBD/GoLoco motifs. The Rgs14 gene encodes a protein similar to the non-PDZ/PTB domain RGS12 splice variants. The spatiotemporal expression patterns of RGS12 and RGS14 proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry in a developmental series of postimplantation mouse embryo. We report that RGS12 splice variants exhibit differential spatiotemporal patterns of expression during postimplantation embryogenesis, suggesting nonoverlapping roles. In contrast, RGS14 is found ubiquitously throughout the postimplantation period. We conclude that R12 subfamily RGS proteins likely play significant and different roles in specific tissues and periods of mouse embryogenesis.

G alpha selectivity and inhibitor function of the multiple GoLoco motif protein GPSM2/LGN.

GPSM2 (G-protein signalling modulator 2; also known as LGN or mammalian Pins) is a protein that regulates mitotic spindle organization and cell division. GPSM2 contains seven tetratricopeptide repeats (TPR) and four Galpha(i/o)-Loco (GoLoco) motifs. GPSM2 has guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) activity towards both Galpha(o)- and Galpha(i)-subunits; however, a systematic analysis of its individual GoLoco motifs has not been described. We analyzed each of the four individual GoLoco motifs from GPSM2, assessing their relative binding affinities and GDI potencies for Galpha(i1), Galpha(i2), and Galpha(i3) and Galpha(o). Each of the four GPSM2 GoLoco motifs (36-43 amino acids in length) was expressed in bacteria as a GST-fusion protein and purified to homogeneity. The binding of each of the four GST-GoLoco motifs to Galpha(i1)-, Galpha(o)-, and Galpha(s)-subunits was assessed by surface plasmon resonance; all of the motifs bound Galpha(i1), but exhibited low affinity towards Galpha(o). GDI activity was assessed by a fluorescence-based nucleotide-binding assay, revealing that all four GoLoco motifs are functional as GDIs for Galpha(i1), Galpha(i2), and Galpha(i3). Consistent with our binding studies, the GDI activity of GPSM2 GoLoco motifs on Galpha(o) was significantly lower than that toward Galpha(i1), suggesting that the in vivo targets of GPSM2 are most likely to be Galpha(i)-subunits.

RGS12 interacts with the SNARE-binding region of the Cav2.2 calcium channel.

Activation of GABAB receptors in chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons inhibits the Cav2.2 calcium channel in both a voltage-dependent and voltage-independent manner. The voltage-independent inhibition requires activation of a tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates the alpha1 subunit of the channel and thereby recruits RGS12, a member of the "regulator of G protein signaling" (RGS) proteins. Here we report that RGS12 binds to the SNARE-binding or "synprint" region (amino acids 726-985) in loop II-III of the calcium channel alpha1 subunit. A recombinant protein encompassing the N-terminal PTB domain of RGS12 binds to the synprint region in protein overlay and surface plasmon resonance binding assays; this interaction is dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation and yet is within a sequence that differs from the canonical NPXY motif targeted by other PTB domains. In electrophysiological experiments, microinjection of DRG neurons with synprint-derived peptides containing the tyrosine residue Tyr-804 altered the rate of desensitization of neurotransmitter-mediated inhibition of the Cav2.2 calcium channel, whereas peptides centered about a second tyrosine residue, Tyr-815, were without effect. RGS12 from a DRG neuron lysate was precipitated using synprint peptides containing phosphorylated Tyr-804. The high degree of conservation of Tyr-804 in the SNARE-binding region of Cav2.1 and Cav2.2 calcium channels suggests that this region, in addition to the binding of SNARE proteins, is also important for determining the time course of the modulation of calcium current via tyrosine phosphorylation.

Application of RGS box proteins to evaluate G-protein selectivity in receptor-promoted signaling.

Regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) domains bind directly to GTP-bound Galpha subunits and accelerate their intrinsic GTPase activity by up to several thousandfold. The selectivity of RGS proteins for individual Galpha subunits has been illustrated. Thus, the expression of RGS proteins can be used to inhibit signaling pathways activated by specific G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This article describes the use of specific RGS domain constructs to discriminate among G(i/o), Gq-and G(12/13)-mediated activation of phospholipase C (PLC) isozymes in COS-7 cells. Overexpression of the N terminus of GRK2 (amino acids 45-178) or p115 RhoGEF (amino acids 1-240) elicited selective inhibition of Galphaq- or Galpha(12/13)-mediated signaling to PLC activation, respectively. In contrast, RGS2 overexpression was found to inhibit PLC activation by both G(i/o)- and Gq-coupled GPCRs. RGS4 exhibited dramatic receptor selectivity in its inhibitory actions; of the G(i/o)- and Gq-coupled GPCRs tested (LPA1, LPA2, P2Y1, S1P3), only the Gq-coupled lysophosphatidic acid-activated LPA2 receptor was found to be inhibited by RGS4 overexpression.

Guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor activity of the triple GoLoco motif protein G18: alanine-to-aspartate mutation restores function to an inactive second GoLoco motif.

GoLoco ('Galpha(i/o)-Loco' interaction) motif proteins have recently been identified as novel GDIs (guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors) for heterotrimeric G-protein alpha subunits. G18 is a member of the mammalian GoLoco-motif gene family and was uncovered by analyses of human and mouse genomes for anonymous open-reading frames. The encoded G18 polypeptide is predicted to contain three 19-amino-acid GoLoco motifs, which have been shown in other proteins to bind Galpha subunits and inhibit spontaneous nucleotide release. However, the G18 protein has thus far not been characterized biochemically. Here, we have cloned and expressed the G18 protein and assessed its ability to act as a GDI. G18 is capable of simultaneously binding more than one Galpha(i1) subunit. In binding assays with the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate, G18 exhibits GDI activity, slowing the exchange of GDP for GTP by Galpha(i1). Only the first and third GoLoco motifs within G18 are capable of interacting with Galpha subunits, and these bind with low micromolar affinity only to Galpha(i1) in the GDP-bound form, and not to Galpha(o), Galpha(q), Galpha(s) or Galpha12. Mutation of Ala-121 to aspartate in the inactive second GoLoco motif of G18, to restore the signature acidic-glutamine-arginine tripeptide that forms critical contacts with Galpha and its bound nucleotide [Kimple, Kimple, Betts, Sondek and Siderovski (2002) Nature (London) 416, 878-881], results in gain-of-function with respect to Galpha binding and GDI activity.