Print

Physiol Rev 85: 1159 –1204, 2005;
doi:10.1152/physrev.00003.2005.
Mammalian G Proteins and Their Cell Type Specific Functions
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
1160
1160
1163
1167
1167
1168
1169
1171
1173
1173
1174
1175
1175
1177
1177
1178
1179
1179
1179
1180
1180
1181
1181
1182
1182
1183
1183
1183
1184
1184
1184
1185
1185
1185
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
I. Introduction
A. Basic principles of G protein-mediated signaling
B. G protein ␣-subunits and ␤␥-complexes
II. Cardiovascular System
A. Autonomic control of heart function
B. Myocardial hypertrophy
C. Smooth muscle tone
D. Platelet activation
III. Endocrine System and Metabolism
A. Hypothalamo-pituitary system
B. Pancreatic ␤-cells
C. Thyroid gland/parathyroid gland
D. Regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism
IV. Immune System
A. Leukocyte migration/homing
B. Immune cell effector functions
V. Nervous System
A. Inhibitory modulation of synaptic transmission
B. Modulation of synaptic transmission by the Gq/G11-mediated signaling pathway
C. Roles of Gz and Golf in the nervous system
VI. Sensory Systems
A. Visual system
B. Olfactory/pheromone system
C. Gustatory system
VII. Development
A. G13-mediated signaling in embryonic angiogenesis
B. Gq/G11-mediated signaling during embryonic myocardial growth
C. Neural crest development
VIII. Cell Growth and Transformation
A. Constitutively active mutants of G␣q/G␣11 family members
B. The oncogenic potential of G␣s
C. Gi-mediated cell transformation
D. Cellular growth induced by G␣12/G␣13
IX. Concluding Remarks
Wettschureck, Nina, and Stefan Offermanns. Mammalian G Proteins and Their Cell Type Specific Functions.
Physiol Rev 85: 1159 –1204, 2005; doi:10.1152/physrev.00003.2005.—Heterotrimeric G proteins are key players in
transmembrane signaling by coupling a huge variety of receptors to channel proteins, enzymes, and other effector
molecules. Multiple subforms of G proteins together with receptors, effectors, and various regulatory proteins
represent the components of a highly versatile signal transduction system. G protein-mediated signaling is employed
by virtually all cells in the mammalian organism and is centrally involved in diverse physiological functions such as
perception of sensory information, modulation of synaptic transmission, hormone release and actions, regulation of
cell contraction and migration, or cell growth and differentiation. In this review, some of the functions of
heterotrimeric G proteins in defined cells and tissues are described.
www.prv.org
0031-9333/05 $18.00 Copyright © 2005 the American Physiological Society
1159
1160
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Basic Principles
of G Protein-Mediated Signaling
More than 1,000 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)
are encoded in mammalian genomes. While most of them
code for sensory receptors like taste or olfactory receptors, ⬃400 –500 of them recognize nonsensory ligands like
hormones, neurotransmitters, or paracrine factors (53,
185, 519, 534, 649). For more than 200 GPCRs, the physiological ligands are known (Table 1). GPCRs for which
no endogenous ligand has been found are “orphan”
GPCRs (376, 389, 688).
Upon activation of a receptor by, e.g., its endogenous
ligand, coupling of the activated receptor to the heterotrimeric G protein is facilitated. Multiple site-directed muPhysiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
All cells possess transmembrane signaling systems
that allow them to receive information from extracellular
stimuli like hormones, neurotransmitters, or sensory
stimuli. This fundamental process allows cells to communicate with each other. All transmembrane signaling systems share two basic elements, a receptor which is able to
recognize an extracellular stimulus as well as an effector
which is controlled by the receptor and which can generate an intracellular signal. Many transmembrane signaling
systems like receptor tyrosine kinases incorporate these
two elements in one molecule. In contrast, the G proteinmediated signaling system is relatively complex consisting of a receptor, a heterotrimeric G protein, and an
effector. This modular design of the G protein-mediated
signaling system allows convergence and divergence at
the interfaces of receptor and G protein as well as of G
protein and effector. In addition, each component, the
receptor, the G protein as well as the effector can be
regulated independently by additional proteins, soluble
mediators, or on the transcriptional level. The relatively
complex organization of the G protein-mediated transmembrane signaling system provides the basis for a huge
variety of transmembrane signaling pathways that are
tailored to serve particular functions in distinct cell types.
It is probably this versatility of the G protein-mediated
signaling system that has made it by far the most often
employed transmembrane signaling mechanism. In this
review we summarize some of the biological roles of G
protein-mediated signaling processes in the mammalian
organism which are based on their cell type-specific function. Although we have tried to cover a wide variety of
cellular systems and functions, the plethora of available
data forced us to restrict this review. Particular emphasis
is placed on cellular G protein functions that have been
studied in primary cells or in the context of the whole
organism using genetic approaches.
tagenesis experiments have been performed on G proteincoupled receptors, and they have revealed various cytoplasmic domains of the receptors that are involved in the
specific interaction between the receptors and the G protein. However, despite the determination of the structure
of rhodopsin at atomic resolution (504), it is still not clear
how specificity of the receptor-G protein interaction is
achieved and how a ligand-induced conformational
change in the receptor molecule results in G protein
activation (177, 212, 213, 565, 674).
The heterotrimeric G protein consists of an ␣-subunit
that binds and hydrolyzes GTP as well as of a ␤- and a
␥-subunit that form an undissociable complex (233, 255,
475). Several subtypes of ␣-, ␤-, and ␥-subunits have been
described (Table 2). To dynamically couple activated receptors to effectors, the heterotrimeric G protein undergoes an activation-inactivation cycle (Fig. 1). In the basal
state, the ␤␥-complex and the GDP-bound ␣-subunit are
associated, and the heterotrimer can be recognized by an
appropriate activated receptor. Coupling of the activated
receptor to the heterotrimer promotes the exchange of
GDP for GTP on the G protein ␣-subunit. The GTP-bound
␣-subunit dissociates from the activated receptor as well
as from the ␤␥-complex, and both the ␣-subunit and the
␤␥-complex are now free to modulate the activity of a
variety of effectors like ion channels or enzymes. Signaling is terminated by the hydrolysis of GTP by the GTPase
activity, which is inherent to the G protein ␣-subunit. The
resulting GDP-bound ␣-subunit reassociates with the ␤␥complex to enter a new cycle if activated receptors are
present. For recent excellent reviews on basic structural
and functional aspects of G proteins, see References 49,
83, 361, and 526.
While the kinetics of G protein activation through
GPCRs has been well described for quite a while, only
recently has the regulation of the deactivation process
been understood in more detail. Based on the observation
that the GTPase activity of isolated G proteins is much
lower than that observed under physiological conditions,
the existence of mechanisms that accelerate the GTPase
activity had been postulated. Various effectors have indeed been found to enhance GTPase activity of the G
protein ␣-subunit, thereby contributing to the deactivation and allowing for rapid modulation of G protein-mediated signaling (23, 45, 348, 571). More recently, a family
of proteins called “regulators of G protein signaling” (RGS
proteins) has been identified, which is also able to increase the GTPase activity of G protein ␣-subunits (272,
481, 550). There are ⬃30 RGS proteins currently known,
which have selectivities for G protein ␣-subfamilies. The
physiological role of RGS proteins is currently under investigation. Besides their role in the modulation of G
protein-mediated signaling kinetics, they also influence
the specificity of the signaling process and in some cases
may have effector functions.
1161
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
TABLE
1.
Physiological ligands of G protein-coupled receptors
Endogenous Ligand(s)
Amino acids, dicarboxylic acids
Glutamate
␥-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)
␣-Ketoglutarate
Succinate
L-Arginine, L-lysine
Biogenic Amines
Acetylcholine
Epinephrine, norepinephrine
Histamine
Melatonin
Serotonin
Trace amines
Ions
Ca2⫹
H⫹
Nucleotides/nucleosides
Adenosine
ADP
ADP/ATP
ATP
UDP
UDP-glucose
UTP/ATP
Lipids
Anandamide, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol
11-Cis-retinal (covalently bound for
light-dependent receptor activation;
see below)
Fatty acids (C2–C5)
(C12–C20)
(C14–C22)
5-Oxo-ETE
Leukotrinene B4 (LTB4)
LTC4, LTD4
LXA4
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)
Platelet-activating factor (PAF)
Prostacyclin (PGI2)
Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2)
Prostaglandin F2␣ (PGF)
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)
Spingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)
Spingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC)
Thromboxane A2 (TxA2)
Peptides/proteins
Adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH)
Adrenomedullin
Reference Nos.
mGluR1,5
mGluR2,3,4,6,7,8
GABAB1 (binding), GABAB2 (signaling)
GPR99
GPR91
GPRC6A
Gq/11
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gq/11, Gi/o
Gq/11 ?
117
117
64
248
248
673
M1,M3,M5
M2, M4
␣1A,␣1B,␣1D
␣2A,␣2B,␣2C
␤1,␤2,␤3
D1,D5
D2,D3,D4
H1
H2
H3,H4
MT1,MT2,MT3
5-HT1A/B/D/E/F
5-HT2A/B/C
5-HT4,5-HT6,5-HT7
5-HT5A/B
TA1, TA2
Gq/11
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gi/o
Gs
Gs
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gs
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gs
Gi/o, Gs
Gs
675
675
252
252
399
487
487
262
262
262
151
281
281
281, 466, 467
281
57, 80
CaSR
SPC1, G2A
GPR4, TDAG-8
Gq/11, Gi/o
Gq/11, G12/13
Gs
218
403, 465
403, 658
A1, A3
A2A, A2B
P2Y12, P2Y13
P2Y1
P2Y11
P2Y6
P2Y14
P2Y2, P2Y4
Gi/o
Gs
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gq/11, Gs
Gq/11
Gi/o
Gq/11
184
184
273, 422
183
183
183
1
183
CB1, CB2
Rhodopsin
Opsins (green, blue, red)
Melanopsin
GPR41, GPR43
GPR40
GPR120
TG1019, GPR170
BLT
CysLT1, CysLT2
FPRL1 (ALXR)
LPA1/2/3 (Edg2/4/7)
PAF
IP
DP
CRTH2
FP
EP1
EP2, EP4
EP3
S1P1/2/3/4/5 (Edg1/5/3/6/8)
SPC1 (OGR1), SPC2 (GPR4)
TP
Gi/o
Gt-r
Gt-c
Gq/11 ?
Gi/o, Gq/11
Gq/11
Gq/11
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gi/o
Gi, Gq/11, G12/13
Gq/11
Gs
Gs
Gi
Gq/11
Gq/11
Gs
Gs, Gq/11, Gi
Gi, Gq/11, G12/13
Gi
Gq/11, G12/13
280
717
471
436, 505, 530
72
70
265
69
68
68
68
110
528
238, 470
238, 470
238, 470
238, 470
238, 470
238, 470
238, 470
293
706, 735
238, 470
MC2
AM1 (CL⫹RAMP2), AM2 (CL⫹RAMP3)
Gs
Gs
682
525
Physiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Dopamine
Coupling to G Protein
Subclass(es)
Receptor
1162
TABLE
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
1—Continued
Endogenous Ligand(s)
Amylin
Angiotensin II
Gastric inhibitory peptide
Gastrin
Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP),
bombesin
Ghrelin
Glucagon
Glucagon-like peptide
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
Growth hormone-releasing hormone
Kisspeptins, metastin
Luteinizing hormone,
choriogonadotropin
Melanin-concentrating hormone
Melanocortins
Motilin
Neurokinin-A/-B (NK-A/-B)
Neuromedin-B, bombesin
Neuromedin U
Neuropeptide FF & AF
Neuropeptide W-23, W-30
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) etc.
Neurotensin
Opioids (␤-endorphin, Met/Leuenkephalin, dynorphin A, nociceptin/
orphanin FQ)
Orexin A/B
Oxytocin
Parathyroid hormone (related peptide)
Prokineticin-1,2
Prolactin-releasing peptide
Relaxin, insulin-like 3
Secretin
Somatostatin
Substance P (SP)
Thyrotropin (TSH)
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)
Urotensin II
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP),
PACAP
Vasopressin
Proteases (the new NH2-terminal domain
produced by proteolytic cleavage
serves as a tethered ligand)
Thrombin and others
Trypsin and others
Reference Nos.
AMY1 (CT⫹RAMP1), AMY2
(CT⫹RAMP2), AMY3 (CT⫹RAMP3)
AT1
AT2
APJ
B1, B2
CT
CGRP1 (CL⫹RAMP1)
CCR1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
CXCR1,2,3,4,5,6
XCL1, XCL2, CX3L1
CCK1, CCK2
C3a, C5a
CRF1, CRF2
Gs
525
Gq/11, G12/13, Gi/o
?
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gs, Gq/11
Gs, Gq/11
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gq/11, Gs
Gi/o
Gs
134
ETA (ET-1, ET-2), ETB (ET-1, -2, -3)
FSH
FPR
GAL1, GAL3
GAL2
GIP
CCK2
BB2
Gq/11, G12/13, Gs
Gs
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gi/o, Gq/11, G12/13
Gs
Gq/11
Gq/11
131
648
373
657
657
332, 431
582
36
GHS-R
Glucagon
GLP1, GLP2
GnRH
GHRH
GPR54
LSH
Gq/11
Gs
Gs
Gq/11
Gs
Gq/11
Gs, Gi
342
431
431
445
206, 431
137, 575
648
MCH1
MCH2
MC1, MC3, MC4, MC5
GPR38
NK2 (NK-A), NK3 (NK-B)
BB1
NMU1 (FM-3), NMU2 (FM-4)
NPFF1, NPFF2
GRP7, GPR8
Y1, Y2, Y4, Y5, Y 6
NTS1, NTS2
␦, ␬, ␮, ORL1
Gi/o?
Gq/11
Gs
Gq/11
Gq/11
Gq/11
Gq/11
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gi/o
63
OX1, OX2
OT
PTH/PTHrP
PK-R1, PK-R2
PrRP (GPR10)
LGR7, LGR8
Secretin
SST1, SST2, SST3, SST4, SST5
NK1
TSH
TRH-1, TRH-2
UT-II (GPR14)
VPAC1, VPAC2, PAC1
Gs, Gq/11
Gq/11, Gi/o
Gs, Gq/11
Gq/11
Gq/11
Gs
Gs
Gi/o
Gq/11
Gs, Gq/11, Gi, G12/13
Gq/11
Gq/11
Gs
442
256
203
591
613
35
431
511
513
648
614
150
651
V1a, V1b
V2
Gq/11
Gs
256
256
PAR-1, PAR-3, PAR-4
PAR-2
Gq/11, G12/13, Gi/o
Gq/11
271
271
Physiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
627
378
525
525
466, 467
466, 467
466, 467
582
208
239
682
173
513
496
67
54
580
440
654
370
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Apelin
Bradykinin
Calcitonin
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)
CC chemokines
CXC chemokines
CX3C chemokines
Cholecyctokinin (CCK-8)
Complement C3a/C5a
Corticitropin-releasing factor (CRF),
urocortin
Endothelin-1, -2, -3
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP)
Galanin, galanin-like peptide
Coupling to G Protein
Subclass(es)
Receptor
1163
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
TABLE
1—Continued
Reference Nos.
Light
⬃500 nm (max. absorption)
⬃426 nm (max. absorption)
⬃530 nm (max. absorption)
⬃560 nm (max. absorption)
⬃425–480 nm (max. absorption)
Taste
Umami
Rhodopsin (11-cis-retinal)
Blue-opsin (11-cis-retinal)
Green-opsin (11-cis-retinal)
Red-opsin (11-cis-retinal)
Melanopsin (11-cis-retinal)
Gt-r
Gt-c
Gt-c
Gt-c
Gq/11 ?
717
471
471
471
436, 505, 530
T1R1 ⫹ T1R3
mGluR4
T1R2 ⫹ T1R3
T2 receptor group (many; ⬃25 in
human, ⬃36 in mouse)
many (⬃350 in human, ⬃1,000 in
mouse)
V1 group (few in human, ⬃150 in
mouse)
V2 group (none in human, ⬃150 in
mouse)
Ggust?
Gi/o
Ggust?
Ggust?
457, 477, 730
95
457, 477, 730
94, 457, 463
Sweet
Bitter
Odorants
Golf
77, 457
Pheromones
Gi2 ?
428, 457
Go ?
428, 457
Receptor
In the reference column, reviews are cited whenever possible to limit the number of references.
The interaction of G proteins with the inner side of
the plasma membrane is facilitated by lipid modifications
of both the ␣-subunit as well as of the ␥-subunit of the
␤␥-complex (97, 448, 589, 728). Recent data provide evidence that heterotrimeric G proteins of the Gi family are
also involved in receptor-independent processes (52,
413), which appear to be critically involved in the positioning of the mitotic spindle and the attachment of microtubules to the cell cortex (234). These processes also
involve a group of proteins that carry a so-called GoLoco
motif which functions as a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (684).
B. G Protein ␣-Subunits and ␤␥-Complexes
The functional versatility of the G protein-mediated
signaling system is based on its modular architecture and
on the fact that there are numerous subtypes of G proteins. The ␣-subunits that define the basic properties of a
heterotrimeric G protein can be divided into four families,
G␣s, G␣i/G␣o, G␣q/G␣11, and G␣12/G␣13 (Table 2). Each
family consists of various members that often show very
specific expression patterns. Members of one family are
structurally similar and often share some of their functional properties. The ␤␥-complex of mammalian G proteins is assembled from a repertoire of 5 G protein ␤-subunits and 12 ␥-subunits (Table 2). While ␤1- to ␤4-subunits
form a tight complex with ␥-subunits which can only be
separated under denaturing conditions, the ␤5-subunit
interaction with ␥-subunits is comparably weak (347,
543). The ␤5-subunit is an exception in that it can also be
found in a complex with a subgroup of RGS proteins
(689). The ␤␥-complex was initially regarded as a more
Physiol Rev • VOL
passive partner of the G protein ␣-subunit. However, it
has become clear that ␤␥-complexes freed from the G
protein ␣-subunit can regulate various effectors (112).
These ␤␥-mediated signaling events include the regulation of ion channels (488), of particular isoforms of adenylyl cyclase and phospholipase C (169, 615), as well as
of phosphoinositide-3-kinase isoforms (641). With a few
exceptions, the ability of different ␤␥-combinations to
regulate effector functions does not dramatically differ
(112).
Most receptors are able to activate more than one G
protein subtype. The activation of a G protein-coupled
receptor therefore usually results in the activation of
several signal transduction cascades via G protein ␣-subunits as well as through the freed ␤␥-complex. The pattern of G proteins activated by a given receptor determines the cellular and biological response, and activated
receptors that lead to functionally similar or identical
cellular effects usually activate the same G protein subtypes. The G protein receptor interaction in general does
not occur in an absolutely specific or in a completely
promiscuous manner. Some receptors appear to interact
only with certain G protein subforms, and in some cellular
systems, the compositions of defined G protein-mediated
signaling pathways can be very specific. However, there
are some characteristic patterns of receptor-G protein
coupling that have been described for the majority of
receptors (Fig. 2).
The G proteins of the Gi/Go family are widely expressed and especially the ␣-subunits of Gi1, Gi2 and Gi3
have been shown to mediate receptor-dependent inhibition of various types of adenylyl cyclases (615). Because the expression levels of Gi and Go are relatively
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Coupling to G Protein
Subclass(es)
Sensory Stimuli
1164
TABLE
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
2.
Heterotrimeric G proteins
Name
Expression
Effector(s)
GNAS
(GNASXL)
GNAL
Ubiquitous
Neuroendocrine
Olfactory epithelium, brain
AC (all types) 1
AC 1
AC 1
GNAI1
GNAI2
GNAI3
GNAO
GNAZ
GNAT3
GNAT1
GNAT2
Widely distributed
Ubiquitous
Widely distributed
Neuronal, neuroendocrine
Neuronal, platelets
Taste cells, brush cells
Retinal rods, taste cells
Retinal cones
AC (types I,III,V,VI,VIII,IX) 2 (directly regulated)
various other effectots are regulated via G␤␥
released from activated Gi1-3 (see below)
VDCC2, GIRK1 (via G␤␥; see below)
AC (e.g., V,VI) 2 (directly regulated); Rap1GAP
PDE 1?; other effectors via G␤␥?
PDE 6 (␥-subunit rod) 1
PDE 6 (␥-subunit cone) 1
GNAQ
GNA11
GNA14
GNA16 (Gna15)
Ubiquitous
Almost ubiquitous
Kidney, lung, spleen
Hematopoietic cells
PLC-␤1-4
PLC-␤1-4
PLC-␤1-4
PLC-␤1-4
GNA12
GNA13
Ubiquitous
Ubiquitous
PDZ-RhoGEF/LARG, Btk, Gap1m, cadherin
p115RhoGEF, PDZ-RhoGEF/LARG, radixin
GNB1
GNB2
GNB3
GNB4
GNB5
Widely, retinal rods
Widely distributed
Widely, retinal cones
Widely distributed
Mainly brain
AC type I 2 AC types II,IV,VII 1 PLC-␤
(␤3⬎␤2⬎␤1) 1 GIRK1–4 (Kir3.1–3.4) 1 receptor
kinases (GRK 2 and 3) 1 PI-3-K, ␤, ␥ 1 T type
VDCC (Cav3.2) 2 (G␤2␥2) N-,P/Q-,R-type VDCC
(Cav2.1–2.3) 2
GNGT1
GNGT2
GNG2
GNG3
GNG4
GNG5
GNG7
GNG8
GNG10
GNG11
GNG12
GNG13
Retinal rods, brain,
Retinal cones, brain
Widely
Brain, blood
Brain and other tissues
Widely
Widely
Olfactory/vomeronasal epithelium
Widely
Widely
Widely
Brain, taste buds
1
1
1
1
AC, adenylyl cyclase; PDE, phosphodiesterase; PLC, phospholipase C; GIRK, G protein-regulated inward rectifier potassium channel; VDCC,
voltage-dependent Ca2⫹ channel; PI-3-K, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; GRK, G protein-regulated kinase; RhoGEF, Rho guanine nucleotide exchange
factor.
high, their receptor-dependent activation results in the
release of relatively high amounts of ␤␥-complexes.
Activation of Gi/Go is therefore believed to be the major
coupling mechanism that results in the activation of
␤␥-mediated signaling processes (112, 543). The function of members of the Gi/Go family has often been
studied using a toxin from Clostridium botulinum
(pertussis toxin; PTX) which is able to ADP-ribosylate
most of the members of the G␣i/G␣o family close to
their COOH termini. COOH-terminally ADP-ribosylated
G␣i/G␣o is unable to interact with the receptor. Thus
PTX treatment results in the uncoupling of the receptor
and Gi/Go. The structural similarity between the 3 G␣i
subforms suggests that they may have partially overlapping functions. In contrast to other G proteins, the
effects of Go, which is particularly abundant in the
Physiol Rev • VOL
nervous system, appears to be primarily mediated by its
␤␥-complex. Whether G␣o can regulate effectors directly is currently not clear. A less widely expressed
member of the G␣i/G␣o family is G␣z (438), which in
contrast to Gi and Go is not a substrate for PTX. G␣z is
expressed in various tissues including the nervous system and platelets. It shares some functional similarities
with Gi-type G proteins but has recently been shown to
interact specifically with various other proteins including Rap1GAP and certain RGS proteins (438). Several
␣-subunits like gustducin and transducins belong to the
G␣i/G␣o family and are involved in specific sensory
functions (24, 126).
The Gq/G11 family of G proteins couples receptors to
␤-isoforms of phospholipase C (169, 538). The ␣-subunits
of Gq and G11 are almost ubiquitously expressed while the
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
␣-Subunits
G␣s class
G␣s
G␣sXL
G␣olf
G␣i/o class
G␣i1
G␣i2
G␣i3
G␣o
G␣z
G␣gust
G␣t-r
G␣t-c
G␣q/11 class
G␣q
G␣11
G␣14
G␣15/16
G␣12/13 class
G␣12
G␣13
␤-Subunits
␤1
␤2
␤3
␤4
␤5
␥-Subunits
␥1, ␥rod
␥14, ␥cone
␥2, ␥6
␥3
␥4
␥5
␥7
␥8, ␥9
␥10
␥11
␥12
␥13
Gene
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
other members of this family like G␣14 and G␣15/16 (G␣15
being the murine, G␣16 the human ortholog) show a rather
restricted expression pattern. Receptors that are able to
couple to the Gq/G11 family do not appear to discriminate
between Gq and G11 (490, 660, 696, 705). Similarly, there is
obviously no difference between the abilities of both G
protein ␣-subunits to regulate phospholipase C ␤-isoforms. While G␣q and G␣11 both are good activators of
␤1-, ␤3-, and ␤4-isoforms of phospholipase C (PLC), the
PLC ␤2-isoform is a poor effector for both (538). The
biological significance of the diversity among the G␣q
gene family is currently not clear. While the importance of
Gq and G11 in various biological processes has been well
established, the roles of G␣14 and G␣15/16, which show
very specific expression patterns, are not clear. Mice carrying inactivating mutations of the G␣14 and G␣15 genes
have no or very minor phenotypical changes (132; H. Jiang
and M. I. Simon, personal communication). In contrast,
mice lacking G␣q or both G␣q and G␣11 have multiple
defects (489, 494, 495) (see below).
The G proteins G12 and G13, which are often activated
by receptors coupling to Gq/G11, constitute the G12/G13
family and are expressed ubiquitously (139, 607). The
analysis of cellular signaling processes regulated through
G12 and G13 has been difficult since specific inhibitors of
these G proteins are not available. In addition, G12/G13Physiol Rev • VOL
coupled receptors usually also activate other G proteins.
Most information on the cellular functions regulated by
G12/G13 therefore came from indirect experiments employing constitutively active mutants of G␣12/G␣13. These
studies showed that G12/G13 can induce a variety of signaling pathways leading to the activation of various
downstream effectors including phospholipase A2,
Na⫹/H⫹ exchanger, or c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (139,
193, 276, 523, 607). Another important cellular function of
G12/G13 is their ability to regulate the formation of actomyosin-based structures and to modulate their contractility by increasing the activity of the small GTPase RhoA
(79). Activation of RhoA by G␣12 and G␣13 is mediated by
a subgroup of guanine nucleotide exchange factors
(GEFs) for Rho which include p115-RhoGEF, PDZ-RhoGEF, and LARG (194, 236, 618). While the RhoGEF activity of PDZ-RhoGEF and LARG appears to be activated by
both G␣12 and G␣13, p115-RhoGEF activity is stimulated
only by G␣13. Recently, an interesting link between G12/
G13 and cadherin-mediated signaling was described, both
G␣12 and G␣13 interact with the cytoplasmic domain of
some type I and type II class cadherins, causing the
release of ␤-catenin from cadherins (434, 435). Various
other proteins including Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, the Ras
GTPase-activating protein Gap1m, radixin, heat shock
protein 90, AKAP110, protein phosphatase type 5, or
Hax-1 have also been shown to interact with G␣12 and/or
G␣13 (309, 359, 485, 532, 638, 709).
The ubiquitously expressed G protein Gs couples
many receptors to adenylyl cyclase and mediates receptor-dependent adenylyl cyclase activation resulting in increases in the intracellular cAMP concentration. The
␣-subunit of Gs, G␣s, is encoded by GNAS, a complex
imprinted gene that gives rise to several gene products
due to the presence of various promoters and splice variants (Fig. 3). In addition to G␣s, two transcripts encoding
XL␣s and Nesp55 are generated by promoters upstream of
the G␣s promoter. While the chromogranin-like protein
Nesp55 is structurally and functionally not related to G␣s,
XL␣s is structurally identical to G␣s but has an extra long
NH2-terminal extension that is encoded by a specific first
exon (329). In contrast to G␣s, XL␣s has a limited expression pattern being mainly expressed in the adrenal gland,
heart, pancreatic islets, brain, and the pars intermedia of
the pituitary (509). However, XL␣s shares with G␣s the
ability to bind to ␤␥-subunits and to mediate receptordependent stimulation of cAMP production (33, 339). Interestingly, the first exon of the Gnasxl gene encodes
another protein termed ALEX (338), which is able to
interact with the XL domain of XL␣s and to inhibit its
activity (188, 338). Interestingly, Nesp55 and XL␣s are
differentially imprinted. While the promoter of Nesp55 is
DNA-methylated on the paternally inherited allele resulting in the expression only from the maternally inherited
allele, the promoter driving XL␣s expression is methyl-
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
FIG. 1. Functional cycle of G protein activity. The complex of a
7-transmembrane domain receptor and an agonist (Ag) promotes the
release of GDP from the ␣-subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein
resulting in the formation of GTP-bound G␣. GTP-G␣ and G␤␥ dissociate
and are able to modulate effector functions. The spontaneous hydrolysis
of GTP to GDP can be accelerated by various effectors as well as by
regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins. GDP-bound G␣ then
reassociates with G␤␥.
1165
1166
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
ated on the maternal allele, and XL␣s is only expressed
from the paternal allele (244, 245, 515). Several other
transcripts like Nespas of which some are believed to be
untranslated show ubiquitous expression and are derived
from the paternal allele due to differentially methylated
promoter regions (243, 294, 396, 619). In contrast, the
FIG. 3. Model of the GNAS gene complex with
some of its transcripts. Some of the transcripts generated from the maternal and paternal allele are
shown on the top and bottom, respectively. Open
boxes indicate noncoding sequences; closed boxes
indicate coding sequences. Exon 3 of the GNAS gene
(hatched box) is alternatively spliced out giving rise
to long and short forms of G␣s. Promoters active on
the maternal and paternal allele are indicated by arrows. While Nesp is only expressed from the maternal
allele, XL␣s and Nespas are expressed from the paternal allele. The GNAS promoter is biallelically active; however, in a few tissues only the maternal allele
is expressed (see text). Several other transcripts of
the GNAS gene complex have been described; however, their function is unclear. Exon sequences are
shown in black and white for coding and noncoding
sequences, while transcripts are shown in gray and
white for coding and noncoding sequences.
Physiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
FIG. 2. Typical patterns of receptor/G protein coupling. Although there are many exceptions, three basic patterns of receptor-G protein coupling
have been found which critically define the cellular response after ligand-dependent receptor activation. ␣2, ␣2-adrenergic receptor; D1–5, dopamine
receptor subtypes 1 to 5; GIRK, G protein-regulated inward rectifier potassium channel; 5-HT1,2, serotonin receptor subtypes 1 and 2; M1–5,
muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes 1 to 5; mGluR1–7, metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes 1 to 7; PLC-␤, phospholipase C-␤; PI-3-K,
phosphoinositide-3-kinase; PIP2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; IP3, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; DAG, diacylglycerol; PKC, protein kinase C;
Rho-GEF, Rho-guanine nucleotide exchange factor; TP, thromboxane A2 receptor; IP, prostacyclin receptor.
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
promoter driving the expression of G␣s has been shown
to be biallelically active and to lack differential methylation (85, 244, 245, 733). However, in a few tissues such as
the renal proximal tubules, the thyroid, pituitary, and
ovaries, the paternal G␣s expression is silenced by an as
yet undefined mechanism (209, 242, 394, 414, 723).
II. CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
A. Autonomic Control of Heart Function
acteristic for heart failure typically goes along with an
increased sympathetic tone resulting in chronic catecholamine stimulation of cardiomyocytes, which is believed to
be deleterious (71). Although the ␤1-adrenoceptor is the
predominant subtype expressed in cardiomyocytes, also
␤2-adrenoceptors are expressed in the heart (545). Interestingly, there is increasing evidence that ␤1- and ␤2adrenoceptors play different roles in catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy. Mice overexpressing human ␤2adrenoceptors have only slightly altered cardiac function
and appear to have normal life expectancy (259, 260, 443,
544) while mice overexpressing ␤1-adrenoceptors develop
severe hypertrophy and die of heart failure (162). The ␤1and ␤2-adrenoceptors also differ with regard to their signal transduction. While ␤1-adrenergic receptors are Gs
coupled, ␤2-adrenoceptors are also able to couple to Gitype G proteins (700, 701) (Fig. 4). The additional activation of Gi via ␤2-adrenergic receptors may explain the
observed differences in signaling induced via ␤1- and
␤2-adrenergic receptors (116, 125, 232, 405, 725, 736). This
led to the hypothesis that ␤2-adrenoceptor stimulation
exerts some sort of protection against cardiac hypertrophy and failure, especially under conditions of chronic
activation of the ␤-adrenergic system and that this is due
to signaling via Gi. The well-documented upregulation of
Gi in human heart failure (174, 482) may be a mechanism
to counteract deleterious Gs-mediated signaling. The potential cardioprotective role of Gi is also supported by
studies in mice. While the overexpression of ␤2-adrenergic receptors in normal cardiomyocytes is well tolerated,
mice which lack in addition the major Gi ␣-subunit, G␣i2,
die within a few days after birth (180). Mice that overexpress ␤2-adrenoceptors in cardiomyocytes and which
carry only one intact G␣i2 gene allele develop more pronounced cardiac hypertrophy and earlier heart failure
compared with ␤2-adrenoceptor transgenic animals with
normal G␣i2 levels.
FIG. 4. Role of heterotrimeric G proteins in mediating autonomic control of heart function by the sympathetic and parasympathetic system.
␤1/␤2, ␤1- and ␤2-adrenergic receptor; M2, muscarinic receptor; If, pacemaker channel; GIRK, G protein-regulated inward rectifier potassium channel;
VDCC, voltage-dependent calcium channel; PKA, protein kinase A.
Physiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Cardiac regulation by the sympathetic system is mediated by ␤-adrenergic receptors that are coupled primarily to Gs (Fig. 4). cAMP produced in response to Gs
activation directly modulates the gating of hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated channels and activates protein kinase A (PKA) which in turn phosphorylates several proteins involved in excitation-contraction
coupling including L-type Ca2⫹ channels, phospholamban, or troponin I (44). These cellular changes are believed to underlie the well-known effects of sympathetic
cardiac activation including positive chronotropic,
dromotropic, lusitropic, and inotropic effects (545).
Transgenic overexpression of the short form of G␣s
(G␣s-S) in the murine heart had no effect on the basal
cardiac function but resulted in an enhanced efficacy of
␤-adrenoceptor Gs signaling, and chronotropic and inotropic responses to catecholamines were increased (299).
Once G␣s-overexpressing mice become older, they develop clinical and pathological signs of cardiomyopathy
(300). These pathological processes are accompanied by a
lack of normal heart rate variability as well as of protective desensitization mechanisms (635, 650). The development of cardiomyopathy after prolonged overexpression
of G␣s is in line with the current concept of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of
chronic heart failure. The insufficient cardiac output char-
1167
1168
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
B. Myocardial Hypertrophy
Myocardial hypertrophy is the chronic adaptive response of the heart to injury or increased hemodynamic
load. It is characterized by increased cardiomyocyte size
and protein content, as well as altered gene expression,
recapitulating an embryonic phenotype (109, 301). Such
pathological myocardial hypertrophy was shown to be
associated with increased cardiac mortality (191, 285,
535), raising the question whether prevention of pathoPhysiol Rev • VOL
logical hypertrophy is beneficial or not (191). Several
mechanosensitive mechanisms involving stretch-activated ion channels, integrins or Z-disc proteins were suggested to mediate myocardial hypertrophy in response to
pressure overload (191, 285, 535). In addition, GPCR agonists like norepinephrine/phenylephrine, angiotensin II,
or endothelin-1 were shown to induce a hypertrophic
phenotype in cultured rat embryonic cardiomyocytes (4,
341, 560, 581). These ligands are known to activate Gq/
G11-coupled receptors, such as the ␣1-adrenergic receptor, the angiotensin AT1 receptor, or the endothelin ETA
receptor (362, 561, 592). Activation of G␣q by Pasteurella
multocida toxin (559) or expression of wild-type G␣q (5,
362) induces the hypertrophic phenotype in cultured cardiomyocytes, while inhibition of Gq/G11 by the RGS domain of GRK2 inhibited agonist-induced hypertrophy
(423). In vivo, cardiac-restricted expression of wild-type
(128) or constitutively active G␣q (437) results in cardiac
hypertrophy. In addition, in vivo overexpression of typically Gq/G11-coupled receptors (444, 474) or their downstream effectors (65, 454, 656) induces hypertrophy. Conversely, in vivo inhibition of Gq/G11 by overexpression of
RGS4, a GTPase-activating G protein for Gq/G11 and Gi/Go
(547), or by overexpression of the COOH terminus of G␣q
(10) results in a reduced hypertrophic response, and cardiomyocyte-specific inactivation of the genes encoding
G␣q/G␣11 completely abrogates the hypertrophic response elicited by pressure overload (677). Interestingly,
an impaired hypertrophic response due to inhibition of
Gq/G11-mediated signaling does not negatively influence
long-term cardiac function (166), suggesting that hypertrophy in response to pressure overload is not necessarily
required to maintain cardiac function. In addition to pressure overload-induced myocardial hypertrophy, the Gq/
G11-mediated signaling pathway was also implicated in
the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy. G␣q levels
and PKC activity were shown to be enhanced in the
streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat heart (714), and heart
specific overexpression of RGS4 protected mice against
different models of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In contrast,
heart-specific expression of a RGS-resistant G␣q caused
sensitization towards diabetic cardiomyopathy (235). The
downstream signaling processes in Gq/G11-mediated hypertrophy are complex and not fully understood (Fig. 5).
Intracellular Ca2⫹ mobilization in response to activation
of Gq/G11-coupled receptors promotes Ca2⫹/calmodulin
(CaM)-dependent activation of calcineurin, which in turn
mediates dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation of
transcription factors of the NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) family. Although activation of the calcineurin/NFAT signaling pathway is clearly sufficient to
induce myocardial hypertrophy, it is not completely clear
whether inhibition of this signaling pathway prevents hypertrophy (for review, see Refs. 190, 191). In addition, a
variety of other effectors have been implicated in myo-
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
The muscarinic acetylcholine (M2) receptor that is
coupled to Gi/Go G proteins mediates the parasympathetic regulation of the heart (Fig. 4). The negative chronotropic and dromotropic effects of the parasympathetic
system are believed to result from the Gi-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, resulting in an inhibition of the
cAMP production as well as by the activation of G proteinregulated inward rectifier potassium channels (GIRK) by
␤␥-subunits released from activated Gi/Go (601). The
atrial GIRK consists of Kir3.1 and Kir3.4 subunits. Mice
lacking either of the two channel subunits have normal
basal heart rates but show reduced vagal and adenosinemediated slowing of heart rate and markedly reduced
heart rate variability, which is thought to be determined
by the vagal tone (47, 680). The involvement of G␤␥
complexes in regulation of GIRK channels has been well
established using electrophysiological and biochemical
approaches (349, 398, 679). Mice in which the amount of
functional G␤␥ protein was reduced by more than 50% in
cardiomyocytes also show an impaired parasympathetic
heart rate control (207). The central role of G␣i in inhibitory regulation of heart rate and atrioventricular conductance has led to attempts to treat cardiac arrhythmias by
atrioventricular nodal gene transfer of G␣i2 in a model of
persistent atrial fibrillation in swine (146). While wild-type
G␣i2 did not change basal heart rate, a constitutively
active mutant of G␣i2 resulted in a significant decrease in
heart rate. When tested for their effects in a model for
tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy, the condition was
significantly improved by wild-type G␣i2 and even more
by constitutively active G␣i2 (37). In addition to the stimulatory regulation of potassium channels, muscarinic regulation of heart function also involves inhibition of voltage-dependent L-type Ca2⫹ channels via an unknown
mechanism. In mice lacking the ␣-subunit of Go, inhibitory muscarinic regulation of cardiac L-type Ca2⫹ channels was abrogated, although G␣o represents only a minor
fraction of all G proteins in the heart (639). Interestingly,
mice which lack the ␣-subunit of Gi2 (G␣i2) also show a
severely affected inhibitory regulation of L-type Ca2⫹
channels via muscarinic M2 receptors (101, 468). This
suggests that both G proteins, Go and Gi2, are involved in
the regulation of cardiac L-type Ca2⫹ channels.
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
1169
ciated embryonic gene program (179). However, no in
vivo data on the role of G12/G13 in myocardial hypertrophy
are available.
C. Smooth Muscle Tone
cardial hypertrophy, such as protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, the
phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase/Akt/GSK-3 pathway or
small GTPases (for review, see Refs. 148, 191, 285, 535).
GPCRs known to mediate myocardial hypertrophy
can also activate G12/G13 family G proteins, resulting in
the activation of RhoA (215, 257). RhoA was suggested to
be involved in the hypertrophic responses to phenylephrine, endothelin, chronic hypertension, or overexpression
of G␣q (128, 264, 278, 360, 562, 567). Expression of inhibitory COOH-terminal peptides of G␣12 and G␣13, as well
as expression of the G12/G13 specific RGS domain of
p115RhoGEF, inhibited phenylephrine-mediated JNK activation in neonatal cardiomyocytes (423). In addition,
overexpression of a constitutively active mutant of G␣13
induced a hypertrophic response in neonatal cardiomyocytes, with increased expression of the hypertrophy-assoPhysiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
FIG. 5. Gq/G11 family G proteins are centrally involved in myocardial hypertrophy. G protein-coupled receptors like the ␣1-adrenergic
receptor (␣1), the angiotensin AT1 receptor, or the endothelin ETA
receptor act through Gq/G11 to induce hypertrophy via activation of
downstream effectors including the calcineurin/NFAT pathway, PKC
isoforms, MAP kinases, the PI-3-kinase/Akt/GSK-3 pathway or small
GTPases. CaM, calmodulin; DAG, diacylglycerol; IP3, inositol 1,4,5trisphosphate; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinases; NFAT, nuclear
factor of activated T cells; PI-3-K, phosphoinositide-3-kinase; PIP2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; PKC, protein kinase C; PLC-␤, phospholipase C-␤.
Smooth muscle tone is controlled by the phosphorylation state of the regulatory light chain (MLC20) of myosin II (for review, see Refs. 269, 593, 594). MLC20 is
phosphorylated by the Ca2⫹/CaM-dependent myosin light
chain kinase (MLCK), leading to enhanced velocity and
force of actomyosin cross-bridging. Dephosphorylation of
MLC20 is mediated by myosin phosphatase, an enzyme
that is negatively regulated by the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway. Thus increased contractility can be achieved
through Ca2⫹-mediated MLCK activation and through
Rho-dependent inhibition of MLC20 dephosphorylation. A
variety of transmitters and hormones regulate smooth
muscle tone through GPCRs (Fig. 6). Typical vasoconstrictor receptors, such as the angiotensin AT1 receptor,
the endothelin ETA receptor, or the ␣1-adrenergic receptor, act on Gq/G11-coupled receptors (159, 215, 724) to
enhance intracellular Ca2⫹ concentration, leading to
MLCK activation. Increased intracellular Ca2⫹ levels are
not only due to IP3-mediated Ca2⫹ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, but also to Ca2⫹ influx through cation channels or voltage-gated Ca2⫹ channels (for review,
see Refs. 269, 593). In addition, many Gq/G11-coupled
receptors have been shown to activate RhoA, thereby
contributing to Ca2⫹-independent smooth muscle contraction (593, 594). Smooth muscle specific overexpression of a COOH-terminal G␣q peptide, which is believed to
inhibit the receptor/G protein interaction, ameliorates hypertension induced by long-term treatment with phenylephrine, serotonin, or angiotensin II (331). Mice lacking
RGS2, a GTPase activating G protein which accelerates
the inactivation of Gq/G11, suffer from hypertension (261).
Interestingly, it was recently shown that the nitric oxide/
cGMP cascade, which constitutes the main relaxant pathway in smooth muscle cells, negatively regulates Gq/G11
signaling by cGMP kinase-mediated phosphorylation and
activation of RGS2 (625). However, in addition to this
peripheral vascular mechanism, an increased sympathetic
tone might contribute to elevated arterial blood pressure
in RGS2-deficient mice (227).
In vitro, most Gq/G11-coupled vasoconstrictor receptors also activate G12/G13 family G proteins, like the receptors for endothelin-1, vasopressin, angiotensin II (215,
257), thrombin (411), or thromboxane A2 (491, 492). Constitutively active forms of G␣12 and G␣13 induced a pronounced, RhoA-dependent contraction in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, and receptor-mediated contractions were strongly inhibited by dominant negative forms
of G␣12 and G␣13 (215). These data suggest that also the
1170
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
G12/G13-mediated signaling pathway is involved in the
regulation of smooth muscle tone, most likely by modulating the activity of myosin phosphatase via Rho/Rhokinase. In accordance with this, inhibition of Rho-kinase
was shown to normalize blood pressure in humans and
experimental animals (426, 636). The relative contribution
of Gq/11/Ca2⫹-mediated and G12/13/Rho/Rho-kinase-mediated signaling to regulation of vascular smooth muscle
tone is not clear. However, data obtained in visceral
smooth muscle suggested that Gq/G11 conveys a fast, transient response, while G12/G13 mediates a sustained, tonic
contraction (257).
Vascular smooth muscle relaxation is mediated by a
variety of mechanisms, one of them being the activation
of Gs-coupled receptors like the adenosine A2 receptors,
␤2-adrenergic receptors, or prostaglandin receptor subtypes IP, DP, and EP2. How the subsequent increase in
cAMP levels reduces smooth muscle tone is not understood. In vitro data suggest that the relaxant effect is
partially due to a PKA-mediated MLCK phosphorylation,
which decreases the enzyme’s affinity for the Ca2⫹/CaM
complex, but the physiological relevance of this signaling
pathway is unclear. Possible other substrates for PKA are
heat shock protein 20, RhoA, or myosin phosphatase (for
review, see Ref. 269). cAMP has also been suggested to
cross-activate cGMP kinase I in vascular or airway
smooth muscle (32, 390), but this hypothesis has been
Physiol Rev • VOL
questioned by the finding that vessels from cGKI-deficient
mice relax normally in response to cAMP (518). In addition, cAMP-independent mechanisms of Gs-mediated relaxation involving large-conductance, Ca2⫹-activated K⫹
(MaxiK, BK) channels have been proposed (624).
The role of Gi-mediated signaling in vascular smooth
muscle tone seems to differ between different vessel
types. An inhibitory effect of PTX on norepinephrineinduced contractility was reported in rat tail artery (516,
600) but was absent in aorta (517). High blood pressure in
spontaneously hypertensive rats is preceded by increased
expression of Gi proteins (18, 19), and PTX treatment
delayed the onset of hypertension (387), suggesting that
decreased cAMP levels play a role in the pathogenesis of
this model of hypertension. Enhanced signaling via a
PTX-sensitive G protein was reported in immortalized B
lymphoblasts from patients with essential hypertension
(520), and this was attributed to a C825T polymorphism in
the gene coding for G␤3, a constituent of the Gi heterotrimer (586). The C825T polymorphism was suggested to
be associated with an increased risk of hypertension,
obesity, and arteriosclerosis in some (for review, see Ref.
585) but not in all studies (283, 616, 617). However, the
significance of genetic association studies in general remains controversial (20, 199, 291).
Very similar to vascular smooth muscle, also airway
smooth muscle tone is mainly regulated by Gq/G11 family
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
FIG. 6. Heterotrimeric G proteins involved
in the regulation of smooth muscle tone. Gq/
G11-coupled receptors increase the intracellular Ca2⫹ concentration, leading to Ca2⫹/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent MLCK activation
and MLC20 phosphorylation. Especially G12/
G13-coupled receptors mediate RhoA activation, thereby contributing to Ca2⫹-independent
smooth muscle contraction. Relaxation is induced by activation of Gs-coupled receptors,
but the mechanisms underlying cAMP-mediated relaxation are not clear. Gi-mediated signaling might contribute to contraction by inhibiting Gs-mediated relaxation. cGKI, cGMP-dependent protein kinase I; DAG, diacylglycerol;
IP3, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; MLC20, regulatory chain of myosin II; MLCK, myosin lightchain kinase; MPP, myosin phosphatase; PIP2,
phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; PKA,
cAMP-dependent kinase; PLC-␤, phospholipase
C-␤; RhoGEF, Rho specific guanine nucleotide
exchange factor; ROCK, Rho kinase; TRP, transient receptor potential channel.
1171
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
bution of Gi-mediated constriction is increased in antigenchallenged airway smooth muscle (107).
D. Platelet Activation
Platelets are small cell fragments that circulate in the
blood and adhere at places of vascular injury to the vessel
wall where they become activated resulting in the formation of a platelet plug that is responsible for primary
hemostasis. Platelets can also become activated under
pathological conditions, e.g., on ruptured atherosclerotic
plaques leading to arterial thrombosis. Platelet adhesion
and activation is initiated by their interaction with adhesive macromolecules like collagen and von Willebrand
factor (vWF) at the subendothelial surface (303, 554).
While collagen is able to induce firm adhesion of platelets
to the subendothelium (666), the recruitment of additional platelets to the growing platelet plaque requires the
local accumulation of diffusible mediators that are produced or released once platelet adhesion has been initiated, and some level of activation through platelet adhesion receptors has occurred (3). These mediators include
ADP/ATP and thromboxane A2 (TxA2), which are secreted or released from activated platelets as well as
thrombin, which is produced on the surface of activated
platelets. These platelet stimuli have in common their
action through G protein-coupled receptors. While ADP
induces the activation of Gq and Gi via P2Y1 and P2Y12
receptors (197, 354), the activated TxA2 receptor (TP)
couples to Gq and G12/G13 (337, 492) (Fig. 7). G proteincoupled protease-activated receptors (PARs) that are activated by thrombin are functionally coupled to Gq, G12/
G13, and in some cases to Gi (121). In response to these
secondary mediators of platelet activation, platelets immediately undergo a shape change reaction during which
they become spherical and extrude pseudopodia-like
FIG. 7. Role of heterotrimeric G proteins in mediating platelet activation by
soluble mediators like ADP, thromboxane A2 (TxA2), thrombin, and epinephrine. Major roles are played by the G proteins Gq, G13, and Gi which couple receptors to the indicated effector molecules.
The subsequent signaling processes eventually lead to platelet responses like
shape change, degranulation, and aggregation (for details, see text). TP, TxA2
receptor; PAR, protease-activated receptor; P2Y1/P2Y12, purinergic receptors;
␣2A, ␣2A-adrenergic receptor; RhoGEF,
Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor;
PLC-␤2/3, phospholipase C-␤2/3; PI-3-K,
phosphoinositide-3-kinase; PIP2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; IP3,
inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; DAG, diacylglycerol; PKC, protein kinase C; PIP3,
phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate.
Physiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
G proteins, which mediate bronchoconstriction, and Gs
family G proteins, which mediate bronchorelaxation. Acetylcholine released from postganglionic parasympathetic
nerves controls resting tone mainly via the Gq/G11-coupled M3 receptor subtype (90), but also other Gq/G11coupled receptors are expressed in airway smooth muscles, like the H1 histamine receptor (133, 222), the leukotriene CysLT1 receptor (314), the B2 bradykinin receptor
(421, 630), the ETB endothelin receptor (216, 241, 441),
and others. Airway hyperreactivity in the A/J mouse strain
was suggested to be due to enhanced agonist affinity and
increased G protein coupling efficiency of the M3 muscarinic receptor (205), and Gq protein was shown to be
upregulated in antigen-induced airway hyperresponsive
rats (106). Mice lacking the ␣-subunit of Gq showed impaired metacholine-induced airway responses and lacked
the typical increase in metacholine sensitivity after allergen sensitization and reexposition (55). Not much is
known about the role of G␣12 and G␣13 in airway smooth
muscle tone regulation. The fact that repetitive antigen
challenge significantly increases the expression of these
proteins in airway smooth muscle suggests a role in allergic asthma (105, 108), but direct evidence for an involvement of G12/G13 is still lacking. Gs-coupled receptors play
an important role in the relaxation of contracted airway
smooth muscle, most prominently the ␤2-adrenergic receptor, but also the prostaglandin E2 receptor EP2 (512)
or the prostacyclin IP receptor (41) (for review, see Ref.
628). The Gi family of G proteins contributes to the regulation of airway smooth muscle contractility mainly by
inhibiting the relaxant effects of Gs. The inhibitory effect
of PTX on acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstriction is
negligible in normal rats, but significant in rats suffering
from antigen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (107).
In these mice, G␣i3 protein is upregulated in bronchial
smooth muscle cells, suggesting that the relative contri-
1172
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
Another member of the Gi family of heterotrimeric G
proteins, Gz, has been implicated in platelet activation
induced by epinephrine acting on ␣2-adrenergic receptors. In contrast to ADP, TxA2, and thrombin, epinephrine
is alone not able to fully activate mouse platelets. However, it is able to potentiate the effect of other platelet
stimuli. In G␣z-deficient platelets, the inhibitory effect of
epinephrine on adenylyl cyclase and epinephrine-potentiating effects were strongly impaired while the effects of
other platelet activators appear to be unaffected (713).
Despite the central role of Gq in platelet activation, it
was recently demonstrated that induction of Gi- and G12/
G13-mediated signaling pathways is sufficient to induce
integrin ␣IIb␤3 activation (149, 483). Interestingly, in
G␣13-deficient platelets, but not in G␣12-deficient platelets, the potency of various stimuli including TxA2, thrombin, and collagen to induce platelet shape change and
aggregation is markedly reduced (455). These defects are
accompanied by a defect in the activation of RhoA and a
delayed phosphorylation of the myosin light chain as well
as by an inability to form stable platelet thrombi under
high sheer stress conditions (455). In addition, mice carrying platelets that lack G␣13 have an increased bleeding
time and are protected against the formation of arterial
thrombi induced in a carotid artery thrombosis model
(455). These data indicate that in addition to Gq and Gi
also G13 is crucially involved in the signaling processes
mediating platelet activation via G protein-coupled receptors both in hemostasis and thrombosis. These findings
also indicated that G13-mediated signaling is not only
involved in the response of platelets to relatively low
stimulus concentrations that induce platelet shape
change but is also required for normal responsiveness of
platelets at higher stimulus concentrations. A reduced
potency of platelet activators in the absence of G13-mediated signaling becomes in particular limiting under high
flow conditions that lead to a rapid clearance of soluble
stimuli from the site of platelet activation and formation
of mediators. In addition, the defective activation of
RhoA-mediated signaling in the absence of G13 appears to
contribute to the observed defect in the stabilization of
platelet aggregates under high sheer stress ex vivo as well
as in vivo. In fact, RhoA-mediated signaling has been
suggested to be required for platelet aggregation under
high sheer conditions as well as for the irreversible aggregation of platelets in suspension (450, 570).
These studies have clearly shown that three G proteins are major mediators of platelet activation via G
protein-coupled receptors: Gq, Gi2, and G13. However,
even in the absence of either Gq, Gi2, or G13 some platelet
activation can still be induced, while in the absence of
both G␣q and G␣13, platelets are unresponsive to thrombin, TxA2, or ADP. This indicates that the activation of
Gi-mediated signaling alone is not sufficient to induce any
platelet activation (456). The optimal activation of plate-
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
structures. In addition, the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (integrin
␣IIb␤3) undergoes a conformational change resulting in
binding of fibrinogen/vWF and subsequent platelet aggregation. Finally, the formation and release of TxA2, thrombin, and ADP is further stimulated. Thus secondary mediators increase through G protein-coupled receptors
their own formation resulting in an amplification of their
effects, and eventually all G protein-mediated signaling
pathways induced via these receptors become activated.
The multiple positive feedback mechanisms operating
during platelet activation have obscured the exact analysis of the roles individual G protein-mediated signaling
pathways play during the platelet activation process.
Progress has recently been made using genetic mouse
models in understanding the role of individual G proteinmediated signaling pathways during platelet activation.
The requirement of Gq-mediated signaling for agonist-induced platelet activation has been demonstrated by
the phenotype of G␣q-deficient platelets, which fail to
aggregate and to secrete in response to thrombin, ADP,
and TxA2 due to a lack of agonist-induced phospholipase
C activation. This dramatic phenotype found in G␣q-deficient platelets is due to the fact that platelets lack G␣11
(313), which is in most other cells coexpressed with G␣q
and can compensate G␣q deficiency. Mice lacking G␣q
have increased bleeding times and are protected against
collagen/epinephrine-induced thromboembolism (494).
Although Gq-mediated signaling appears to be absolutely
required for platelet activation, there is clear evidence
that also Gi type G proteins need to be activated to induce
full activation of integrin ␣IIb␤3. In mice lacking the
␣-subunit of Gi2, the response of ADP that acts through
the Gi-coupled P2Y12 receptor is reduced (304). However,
also the effects of mediators like thrombin and TxA2,
which primarily signal through Gq and G12/G13 were found
to be inhibited in platelets lacking G␣i2 (304, 712). This
supports the view that platelet activation by thrombin and
thromboxane A2 requires in part the action of secondary
mediators like ADP, which are released after activation of
Gq-mediated signaling pathways through TxA2 and thrombin receptors. An important role of the Gi-mediated signaling pathway in platelet activation is also suggested by
studies in platelets lacking the Gq-coupled P2Y1 receptor
or after pharmacological blockade of P2Y1 (170, 251, 310,
379, 568). These platelets do not aggregate in response to
low and intermediate concentrations of ADP unless Gqmediated signaling is induced via activation of another
receptor. Similarly, platelets lacking P2Y12 or in which
P2Y12 was pharmacologically blocked did not aggregate in
response to ADP unless the Gi-mediated pathway was
activated via a different receptor (181, 568). Thus there is
clear evidence that Gq and Gi synergize to induce platelet
activation. It is currently not clear how Gi contributes to
integrin ␣IIb␤3 activation in platelets, but a decrease in
cAMP levels is unlikely to be involved (129, 529, 569, 712).
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
lets under physiological and pathological conditions obviously requires the parallel signaling through several heterotrimeric G proteins.
III. ENDOCRINE SYSTEM AND METABOLISM
A. Hypothalamo-Pituitary System
Hormone release from the anterior pituitary is tightly
controlled by hypothalamic releasing hormones and release inhibiting factors, all of which act through GPCRs.
The receptors for corticotropin-releasing hormone (263)
and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (588)
primarily act through Gs, while receptors for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (445), thyrotropin-releasing
hormone (211, 720), and the many prolactin-releasing factors (186) mainly act through Gq/G11 family G proteins,
and only partly through Gs. In addition to their secretagogue effects, hypothalamic releasing hormones regulate
hormone synthesis and cell proliferation (81, 430, 531,
583, 587, 647). Anterior pituitary secretion and proliferation is not only stimulated by the classical hypothalamic
releasing hormones, but also by a variety of other factors,
such as the gastrointestinal peptide hormone ghrelin,
which enhances growth hormone (GH) secretion via
the predominantly Gq/G11-coupled growth hormone
secretagogue receptor GHS-R (343, 588), or members of
the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide
(PACAP)/glucagon superfamily, which exert secretagogue effects on a variety of pituitary cell types via their
Gs-coupled receptors (579). The in vivo relevance of Gs
family G proteins in anterior pituitary function was studPhysiol Rev • VOL
ied in mice and in patients with inactivating or activating
Gs mutants. Somatotroph-specific overexpression of cholera toxin, which irreversibly activates Gs by ADP ribosylation, caused somatotroph hyperplasia, increased GH
levels and gigantism in mice (82). In humans, activating
mutations of GNAS can be found in ⬃40% of GH producing pituitary tumors (363, 406), as well as in 10% of
nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (406, 632, 685). These
activating mutations of GNAS encode substitutions of
either Arg-201 or Gln-227, two residues that are critical for
the GTPase reaction (187, 223, 363, 406). In GH-secreting
tumors, the mutation is almost always in the maternal
allele, presumably because G␣s is mainly expressed from
the maternal allele (“paternally imprinted”) in pituitary
cells (242). Activating GNAS mutations were also, though
rarely, found in corticotroph (541, 686), but not in thyrotroph tumors (147, 406). Such activating somatic GNAS
mutations are not necessarily restricted to the pituitary,
but are often part of the McCune-Albright syndrome,
which is defined by the trias fibrous dysplasia of bone,
café-au-lait skin pigmentation, and endocrine hyperfunctions of variable degree (for review, see Refs. 599, 669).
Endocrine hyperfunction is due to constitutive activation
of Gs signaling in other endocrine glands, leading to adrenal hyperplasia with Cushing syndrome (60, 182), precocious puberty (138, 574), or hyperthyroidism (see sect.
IIIC). In melanocytes, increased Gs activity mimics the
activity of melanocyte stimulating hormone, leading to
typical café-au-lait hyperpigmentation (334).
Heterozygous inactivating GNAS mutations result in
Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), a congenital
disorder characterized by obesity, short stature, brachydactyly, subcutaneous ossifications, and neurobehavioral
deficits of variable severity (for review, see Refs. 13, 366,
599, 669). In addition to these defects, patients with maternally inherited mutations show multihormone resistance (termed pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia,
PHP1a) in tissues with a paternally imprinted GNAS allele, such as proximal tubules of the kidney, thyroid, or
ovaries (209, 242, 414, 723). In these tissues, the effects of
Gs-coupled hormone receptors, like those for parathyroid
hormone, thyroid stimulating hormones, or the gonadotropins, are impaired. Clinically, this results in variable
degrees of hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, hypothyroidism (see also sect. IIIC), and delayed or incomplete
sexual development and reproductive dysfunction in
women (13, 366, 599, 669). These abnormalities of the
reproductive system are easily explained by malfunction
of receptors for follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. In addition, at least in mice, the Gs-coupled
orphan receptor GPR3 is crucially involved in the maintenance of meiotic arrest in oocytes (432, 433).
The phenotype of humans heterozygous for an inactivating GNAS mutation is partly reproduced in mice
carrying a targeted disruption of Gnas exon 2. In these
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
The endocrine system consists of a variety of glands
and other structures that produce, store, and secrete hormones directly into the systemic circulation, thereby controlling electrolyte and water homeostasis, metabolism,
growth, reproduction, etc. GPCRs contribute to endocrine
functions in a twofold way: 1) by mediating hormonal end
organ effects and 2) by controlling hormone secretion
itself. Hormone secretion, as well as secretion from neuronal or exocrine cells, typically involves elevation of
cytosolic Ca2⫹ and/or cAMP (for review, see Refs. 160,
738). In most secretory cells, Ca2⫹ influx through voltageoperated Ca2⫹ channels is the dominant mode of regulation, like in adrenal chromaffin cells (160), while in other
cells, such as anterior pituitary gonadotropes, Ca2⫹ mobilization from internal stores is the critical step (633). In
yet another endocrine cell, such as lactotroph cells, both
increased intracellular Ca2⫹ levels and cAMP production
contribute to secretion (130, 186, 620). Accordingly, with
rare exceptions, activation of Gs and/or Gq/G11 family G
proteins enhances secretion regardless of the endocrine
cell type involved.
1173
1174
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
B. Pancreatic ␤-Cells
The tight regulation of blood glucose levels is mainly
achieved by the on-demand release of insulin from pancreatic ␤-cells. High glucose levels result in enhanced
Physiol Rev • VOL
intracellular glucose metabolism with ATP accumulation
and consecutive closure of ATP-sensitive K⫹ channels,
leading to the opening of voltage-operated Ca2⫹ channels
and Ca2⫹-mediated insulin exocytosis (27, 119). In addition to the ATP-dependent mechanism of insulin release,
several GPCRs have been shown to either amplify or to
inhibit glucose-induced insulin release (for review, see
Refs. 161, 364, 558), and these receptors and their respective ligands play an important role in the regulation of
islet function by, e.g., the autonomous system (for review,
see Ref. 7). Neuropeptides and hormones that potentiate
insulin secretion mainly act though Gs-coupled receptors,
like glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, secretin, cholecystokinin, PACAP, glucagon, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) (for
review, see Refs. 161, 418, 542). The potentiating effect of
Gs on glucose-induced insulin release (576, 608, 609)
might either be mediated by phosphorylation of voltageoperated Ca2⫹ channels (295) or through the opening of
nonselective cation channels (275). Transgenic expression of a constitutively active G␣s mutant in mouse ␤-cells
caused increased islet cAMP production and insulin secretion, but these changes were only detectable in the
presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors, suggesting that
increased G␣s activity is normally compensated by upregulation of cAMP degrading enzymes like phosphodiesterases (408). Conversely, activation of receptors coupled
to Gi or Go, like the ␣2-adrenergic receptor or receptors
for somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, prostaglandin E2, or
galanin, inhibits insulin secretion in a PTX-sensitive manner (319, 328, 365, 514, 542).
Not only Gs family members, but also Gq/G11 family G
proteins, can mediate potentiation of glucose-induced insulin release. Acetylcholine released from postganglionic
parasympathetic nerves or muscarinic agonists act
through the Gq/G11-coupled M3 receptor (58, 157) to enhance insulin release during the cephalic phase of insulin
secretion (8, 447, 691). This effect was shown to depend
on PLC activation and consecutive inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-mediated intracellular Ca2⫹ elevation (46, 469,
726) and PKC activation (22). The exact pathways leading
to increased insulin secretion are not clear, but activation
of L-type Ca2⫹ channels (58), modulation of ATP-sensitive
K⫹ channels (469), activation of CaM-kinase II (427, 537),
or enhanced plasma membrane Na⫹ permeability (254)
have been suggested. In addition to acetylcholine, a variety of other local mediators act through Gq/G11-coupled
receptors to enhance insulin release, like cholecystokinin
via the CCK1 receptor (652), bombesin via the BB2 receptor (521, 646), arginine vasopressin via the V1b receptor
(375, 501, 539), or endothelin via the ETA receptor (224).
Fatty acids such as palmitate potentiate insulin secretion
at high glucose levels independently of ATP formation
(527, 663), and Ca2⫹ influx via voltage-operated Ca2⫹
channels or intracellular Ca2⫹ mobilization was suggested
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
animals, PTH resistance was only found if the mutation
was maternally inherited, and only these animals
showed reduced G␣s expression in the renal cortex
(723). In humans, renal PTH resistance without Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (PHPIb) can also be
due to other GNAS mutations, such as a mutant which
results in a biallelic paternal imprinting phenotype
(395), or a mutant unable to interact with the PTH
receptor (697). Yet another GNAS mutation causes impaired signaling via the PTH and TSH receptors, but
enhanced signaling via the likewise Gs-coupled receptor for luteinizing hormone, leading to enhanced testosterone production. This paradoxical combination of
gain and loss of function is explained by the fact that
the underlying GNAS mutation results in a constitutively active form of G␣s which, however, is temperature sensitive. The mutant is stable only at the relatively low temperature in the testis, but rapidly degraded at 37°C, leading to G␣s deficiency (287). With
respect to pituitary function, patients with inactivating
GNAS mutations show variable degrees of GHRH resistance (415), GH deficiency (210), or hypoprolactinemia
(88). In accordance with the important role of Gs family
G proteins in lactotrophs and somatotrophs, hypothalamic inhibiting hormones, like dopamine or somatostatin, act through Gi-coupled receptors (311, 536).
Releasing hormone secretion itself is influenced by
GPCRs, and several former orphan receptors were recently shown to positively regulate releasing hormone
secretion. Kisspeptins for example, a family of peptides
derived from the metastasis suppressor gene Kiss-1, were
shown to enhance hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing
hormone secretion via the GPR54 receptor (137, 220, 472),
and genetic inactivation of GPR54 in mice or mutation in
humans causes hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (137,
196, 220, 575). The peptide hormone ghrelin induces pituitary growth hormone release not only directly via activation of GHS-R on somatotroph cells, but also acts as a
releasing factor for hypothalamic GHRH (343). Both
GPR54 and GHS-R are known to activate Gq/G11 family G
proteins (343, 345), suggesting that releasing hormone
release is controlled by the same mechanisms as pituitary
hormone release. In line with this notion, mice lacking
both G␣q alleles and one G␣11 allele selectively in the
nervous system show severe somatotroph hypoplasia
with dwarfism due to reduced hypothalamic GHRH production, which is probably secondary to impaired GHS-R
signaling (676).
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
to mediate these effects. The former orphan GPCR GPR40
was shown to mediate the effects of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (C⬎6) on intracellular Ca2⫹ mobilization in pancreatic ␤-cells (70, 296, 346). These effects
were not PTX sensitive, suggesting that Gq/G11-mediated
intracellular Ca2⫹ mobilization was involved (70, 296).
Another recently deorphanized GPCR probably coupled
to Gq/G11 is GPR120, which was suggested to be involved
in fatty acid-induced release of GLP-1 from intestinal
cells, thereby contributing to GLP-1-mediated insulin release (265).
C. Thyroid Gland/Parathyroid Gland
Physiol Rev • VOL
Ca2⫹ (re)absorption in gut and kidney, as well as Ca2⫹
release from bone. High extracellular Ca2⫹ concentrations activate the G protein-coupled extracellular Ca2⫹
sensing receptor (CaR), leading to inhibition of PTH production and secretion in parathyroid cells (for review, see
Refs. 74, 268, 661). Activation of the CaR causes a PTXinsensitive (240) stimulation of PLC-␤ isoforms, with consecutive increments in inositol phosphates, DAG, and
intracellular Ca2⫹ levels (73, 75, 478). In addition, an
activation of phospholipases A2 and D (333) as well as a
PTX-sensitive suppression of cAMP formation was observed (98). These studies suggested that the CaR couples
both to Gq/G11 and Gi/Go family G proteins, and this
notion was supported by the finding that CaR activation
induced incorporation of radiolabeled GTP into G␣q and
G␣i in Madin-Darby kidney (MDCK) cells, which endogenously express low levels of the CaR (25). The fact that
increased intracellular Ca2⫹ levels result in decreased,
not increased, hormone release is quite exceptional, and
parathyroid cells are, besides renin-secreting juxtaglomerular cells (572), the only endocrine cells showing such
inverse coupling. However, the molecular mechanism underlying Ca2⫹-mediated inhibition of PTH secretion is not
understood (for review, see Refs. 74, 86, 268, 661).
D. Regulation of Carbohydrate and
Lipid Metabolism
Normal blood glucose levels are maintained both by
regulating the activity of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and by controlling glucose uptake into
peripheral tissues. Insulin is a major regulator of both
processes, but also a variety of GPCR agonists, like catecholamines and glucagon, contribute to glucose homeostasis. In hepatocytes, activation of Gs-coupled receptors like the ␤2-adrenergic receptor or glucagon receptors
causes PKA-mediated phosphorylation of key enzymes
which regulate glycogen synthesis, glycogen breakdown,
glycolysis, or gluconeogenesis (167, 168). Together, these
changes lead to enhanced hepatic glucose release. Comparable changes can be induced by activation of Gq/G11coupled receptors like the ␣1-adrenergic receptor or receptors for vasopressin and angiotensin, and these effects
are probably mediated by Ca2⫹/calmodulin-dependent alteration of enzymatic activity (167, 168). In the periphery,
glucose uptake into skeletal muscle and adipocytes is
mediated by translocation of glucose transporter subtype
4 (GLUT4) from intracellular vesicles to the plasma membrane (665). A variety of GPCRs have been demonstrated
to modify insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation, and even
a direct interaction between the insulin receptor and heterotrimeric G proteins was suggested (412). Heterozygous
GNAS-deficient mice show, in addition to other metabolic
abnormalities (for effects on lipolysis, see below), an
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) regulates thyroid cell proliferation as well as thyroid hormone synthesis and release through the G protein-coupled TSH receptor (508). In vitro, the TSH receptor was shown to couple
to all four G protein families (15, 16, 368), but the major
signal transduction pathway in vivo seems to be the Gs/
cAMP cascade, which was shown to activate iodide organification, thyroid hormone production, secretion, and
thyroid cell mitogenesis (153–155, 546). In TSH receptordeficient mice, direct stimulation of adenylyl cyclase restores the ability to concentrate and organify iodide, suggesting that expression of the sodium-iodide symporter is
controlled by G␣s (417). In vitro, overexpression of constitutive active G␣s in a thyroid cell line (462) or activation of Gs by transgenic expression of cholera toxin in the
mouse thyroid (727) caused hyperplasia and increased
hormone secretion. In line with this, spontaneous activating mutations of GNAS can cause thyroid cell hyperfunction in humans, leading to hyperthyroidism, goiter, and
benign adenoma (175, 406, 424, 502). Malignant transformation of thyroid cells has also been observed (165, 611,
711), but seems to require additional mutational or epigenetic events (115). Much more frequent than activating
GNAS mutations are the activating mutations of the TSH
receptor itself (508), which mainly lead to constitutive
activation of the Gs/cAMP cascade, or, in some cases, to
activation of both Gs- and Gq/G11-coupled pathways (48,
643). Since the paternal GNAS allele is partly imprinted in
thyroid cells (209, 394), inactivating GNAS mutants inherited from the maternal side cause TSH resistance with
moderately elevated TSH levels and low thyroid hormone
levels (171, 381, 382, 670, 719). Mild TSH resistance can
also be observed in patients with PHP1B due to a GNAS
mutation with paternal specific epigenotype of both exon
1A regions (34, 394, 395). In addition to adenylyl cyclase
activation, TSH stimulates PLC activity (344, 369, 644),
but the TSH concentrations needed for PLC stimulation
are 100-fold higher than those needed for adenylyl cyclase
stimulation (643).
The parathyroid gland controls Ca2⫹ homeostasis
through parathyroid hormone (PTH), which enhances
1175
1176
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
tors for endothelin-1 (ET-1), norepinephrine, platelet-activating factor, or bradykinin (335, 336, 698). Microinjection of an anti-G␣q/G␣11 antibody or of RGS2 protein
causes inhibition of ET-1-induced GLUT4 translocation
(289). Of note, chronic ET-1 treatment inhibits insulinstimulated glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation in
3T3-L1 adipocytes, and decreased tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrates was suggested to mediate this heterologous desensitization (292). The Gq/G11mediated effect on GLUT4 translocation was shown to be
PI 3-kinase dependent in some (289, 290) but not in all
studies (59, 326). Recently, a role for the ADP ribosylation
factor 6 and the Ca2⫹-activated tyrosine kinase Pyk2 was
suggested (59, 371, 506).
Other examples for G protein-regulated metabolic
processes are adipocyte lipolysis and lipogenesis. Activation of Gs-coupled receptors like those for catecholamines, ACTH, glucagons, TSH, or PTH enhances
lipolysis via PKA-dependent phosphorylation of hormonesensitive lipase (274, 401, 606). In adipocytes from patients heterozygous for an inactivating GNAS mutation,
the lipolytic effect in response to epinephrine is impaired,
and this was suggested to contribute to obesity observed
in AHO patients (87). Heterozygous disruption of Gnas
exon 2 in mice causes not only enhanced insulin sensitivity (721), but also a variety of other metabolic defects that
depend on the parental origin of the inherited mutation
(722). While mice with a maternally inherited inactivating
mutation of the Gnas gene are obese and hypometabolic,
paternally inherited Gnas mutations cause abnormal leanness with decreased serum, liver, and muscle triglycerides, and lipid oxidation in adipocytes is enhanced (104,
722). Since these mice have increased urine norepinephrine excretion, it was suggested that increased sympathetic stimulation of adipocytes caused the changes in
lipid metabolism (104, 722). The reason for the restriction
to paternally inherited mutations is not completely clear.
Deletion of Gnas exon 2 does not only affect the expression of G␣s, but also of alternative gene products like
XL␣s (Fig. 3) (245, 667). An involvement of XL␣s in the
hypermetabolic phenotype seems likely for three reasons.
First, XL␣s is only expressed from the paternal allele
(104) and is therefore well suited to explain a paternally
inherited phenotype. Second, XL␣s-deficient mice show a
phenotype similar to paternally exon 2-deficient mice
(522). Third, mice with paternal inheritance of a Gnas
exon 1 deletion, which does not affect XL␣s expression,
do not show the respective phenotype (668). Interestingly, studies in XL␣s-deficient mice suggest that G␣s and
XL␣s can exert opposing effects on whole body metabolism (522, 668). In addition to Gs family G proteins, also
the Gq/G11 family was implicated in the regulation of
lipolysis. Expression of antisense RNA to G␣q in liver and
white fat caused hyperadiposity, which was suggested to
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
increased sensitivity towards insulin, which was attributed to enhanced insulin-dependent glucose uptake into
the skeletal muscle (104, 721). In line with this, transgenic
expression of a constitutively active mutant of G␣s
(G␣sQ227L) in fat, liver, and skeletal muscle decreased
glucose tolerance (284), suggesting that G␣s-mediated signaling negatively regulates insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation. In contrast, Gi family G proteins seem to facilitate insulin effects. Pretreatment of isolated adipocytes
and soleus muscle with PTX results in reduced insulinstimulated glucose uptake (111, 325), and mice in which
G␣i2 was downregulated in liver and adipose tissue using
an antisense RNA approach show insulin resistance with
hyperinsulinemia, decreased glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance (459 – 461). In the latter mice, both insulininduced GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane
and activation of glycogen synthase and antilipolytic mediators were impaired (461). The decrease in G␣i2 levels
was accompanied by an increase in protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) activity, an enzyme known to dephosphorylate phosphorylated tyrosine residues on the
insulin receptor and on insulin receptor substrate-1. This
suggests that the inhibition of insulin signaling in mice
with reduced G␣i2 levels is due to disinhibition of PTP-1B
(461). Mice expressing a constitutively active mutant of
G␣i2 (G␣i2Q205L) in fat, liver, and skeletal muscle displayed reduced fasting blood glucose levels and increased
glucose tolerance (103). Adipocytes from these mice
showed enhanced insulin-induced glucose uptake and
GLUT4 translocation, as well as increased PI 3-kinase and
Akt activities (596). In addition, PTP-1B is suppressed in
G␣i2 overexpressing mice (626), and streptozotocin-induced diabetic changes are ameliorated (732). Up to now
it is not clear at which levels the insulin receptor-mediated pathway interacts with the Gi-mediated pathway. It
was suggested that Gi/Go family G proteins physically
interact and are phosphorylated by the activated insulin
receptor (for review, see Ref. 510). In addition, Gi/Go
might be involved in insulin-mediated autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor (351).
Data from 3T3 L1 adipocytes strongly point to an
involvement of Gq/G11 family G proteins in basal and
insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation. Overexpression of
wild-type or constitutively active G␣q increased basal
GLUT4 translocation (290, 326), while microinjection of
G␣q/G␣11 antibodies or RGS2 protein inhibited insulininduced GLUT4 translocation (290, 326). In line with these
findings, inhibition of GRK2, a negative regulator of Gq/
G11 signaling, increased insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation, while adenovirus-mediated overexpression of
GRK2 reduced translocation as well as 2-deoxyglucose
uptake (637). The exact mechanisms underlying Gq/G11mediated GLUT4 translocation are not fully understood.
Several Gq/G11-coupled receptors are able to stimulate
glucose uptake via GLUT4 translocation, such as recep-
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
be attributed to an impaired lipolytic response towards
␣1-adrenergic agonists (198).
Inhibition of adipocyte lipolysis is mediated by the
insulin receptor or by activation of Gi-coupled receptors
like the ␣2-adrenergic receptor, receptors for adenosine
or prostaglandin (401) or the recently deorphanized receptor for nicotinic acid, GPR109A (HM74a/PUMA-G)
(634). G␣i was suggested to be directly involved in the
antilipolytic effect of insulin, since insulin-dependent inhibition of lipolysis and activation of glucose oxidation in
adipocytes were shown to be PTX sensitive (219).
IV. IMMUNE SYSTEM
Directed cell movement in response to an increased
concentration of chemoattractant underlies the correct
targeting of leukocytes to lymphatic organs during antigen surveillance and also allows them to migrate to sites
of infection and/or inflammation (for review, see Refs.
653, 694). Known lymphocyte chemoattractants either belong to the large family of chemokines (355, 500) or to the
lysophospholipid family, like sphingosine-1-phosphate
(S1P) or lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) (123, 221, 282). Both
chemokine and lysophospholipid receptors are GPCRs.
While chemokine receptors primarily act through Gi family G proteins (355), lysophospholipid receptors activate
Gi, G12/G13, and Gq/G11 family G proteins depending on
type and activation state of the respective cell (377, 584,
612).
Inactivation of Gi family G proteins by PTX pretreatment strongly impairs lymphocyte migration in vitro (28,
598) and causes defective homing to spleen, lymph nodes,
and Peyer’s patches in vivo (31, 124, 597, 662), suggesting
that Gi family G proteins are involved in these processes. In
line with this, inactivation of Gi by transgenic expression of
the S1 subunit of PTX in murine thymocytes resulted in
accumulation of mature T cells in the thymus, with greatly
reduced levels of T cells in peripheral lymphatic organs (91,
92). To investigate the role of Gi-mediated signaling in more
detail, mouse lines carrying inactivating mutations of G␣i
subtypes were generated. Both G␣i2 and G␣i3 are expressed
in the murine thymus (91), but only inactivation of G␣i2
mimicked the phenotype of PTX expressing mice with respect to thymic accumulation of mature T cells. Neither
G␣i2- nor G␣i3-deficient mice showed defects in T cell homing to the periphery (552), suggesting that the homing defects induced by PTX probably result from the combined
inactivation of Gi2 and Gi3.
Despite the predominant role of Gi signaling in chemokine-induced lymphocyte migration, an involvement of
Gq/G11 family G proteins was suggested by a variety of in
vitro studies (11, 21, 353, 590, 716). In contrast to other
Physiol Rev • VOL
tissues, hematopoietic cells do not only express the
␣-subunits G␣q and G␣11, but also G␣15, which corresponds to human G␣16 (17, 683). Mice deficient for G␣11,
G␣15, or both G␣q and G␣15 were normal under basal
conditions and after antigenic challenge, and only a minor
signaling defect in response to complement C5a was
found in G␣15-deficient macrophages (132).
The G12/G13 effector RhoA was repeatedly shown
to be involved in the regulation of lymphocyte adhesion
and migration (367, 631), but direct evidence for an
involvement of the G12/G13 family is still lacking. Indirect evidence for a role of G13 in lymphocyte migration
comes from studies in Lsc-deficient mice. The murine
Rho-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor Lsc
(p115RhoGEF in humans) is expressed exclusively in hematopoietic cells and couples G␣13 to the activation of
RhoA (236). Lsc-deficient mice show impaired agonistinduced actin polymerization and motility, as well as abnormal B-cell homing and altered T- and B-cell proliferation (214). Defective migration was also observed in mice
lacking the proton-sensing receptor G2A (465), which was
shown to couple to G␣13 (316). G2A-deficient macrophages (659) and T cells (533) showed reduced migration
towards lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), while G2A overexpression in a macrophage cell line enhanced migration
towards LPC (533, 715). How LPC effects are affected by
the absence of G2A is currently not clear (690). In the
latter cells, LPC-induced chemotaxis was inhibited by
overexpression of dominant negative mutants of G␣q/
G␣11 or G␣12/G␣13, as well as expression of RGS domains
or GRK2 (specific for Gq/G11) or of p115RhoGEF (specific
for G12/G13), while PTX treatment was without effect
(715).
Also neutrophils respond to a variety of chemoattractants, such as N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP), C5a, platelet
activating factor (PAF), or the chemokine interleukin
(IL)-8, with polarization and directed migration. This effect was shown to be PTX sensitive (43, 217, 577, 598) and
to be mainly mediated via ␤␥-subunits (479, 480) (Fig. 8).
Lentiviral-mediated knockdown of different G protein
subunits in a macrophage cell line revealed that complement C5a-induced migration critically depends on G␤2,
but not on G␤1, G␣i2, or G␣i3 (286). Intracellular effectors
of G␤␥ in neutrophils are the ␥-isoform of PI 3-kinase
(PI3K␥) and the ␤2- and ␤3-isoforms of phospholipase C
(PLC-␤2, -␤3). While neutrophils from mice lacking
PLC-␤2 and -␤3 show normal, or even enhanced, chemotactic responses (388), migration of PI3K␥-deficient neutrophils was severely impaired (266, 388, 566). Moreover,
PI3K␥-deficient neutrophils failed to accumulate at sites
of inflammation in a septic peritonitis model (266), suggesting that PI3K␥ mediates chemotactic responses both
in vitro and in vivo. In addition to PI3K␥, RhoA activity
seems to be required for fMLP-induced neutrophil chemokinesis and chemotaxis (review in Ref. 484), and espe-
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
A. Leukocyte Migration/Homing
1177
1178
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
cially the deadhesion of the uropod was attributed to
RhoA (12, 397). Interestingly, fMLP receptor-mediated
chemotaxis of HL60 cells was recently suggested to involve not only Gi, but also G12/G13 (702). In these cells,
activation of Gi defined “frontness” by activating PI3K and
Rac, whereas activation of G12/G13 defined “backness” by
inducing RhoA-dependent actomyosin interaction (702).
B. Immune Cell Effector Functions
Activation of immune cells by antigen contact initiates complex signaling cascades leading to proliferation,
differentiation, or initiation of effector functions like cytokine production, mediator release, phagocytosis, etc.
Although these functions are not directly G protein mediated, G proteins might have important modulatory roles
(312, 400).
In neutrophils, chemoattractant-induced O⫺
2 formation is mediated via Gi-coupled receptors (39) and is
strongly impaired both in neutrophils from mice lacking
PLC-␤2 and -␤3 (388, 695, 699) and in PI3K␥-deficient
neutrophils (266, 388, 566). PI3K-mediated formation of
phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) was shown
to activate the small GTPase Rac, which contributes to
neutrophil migration by actin polymer formation in the
leading edge (540, 653) and to O⫺
2 formation by NADPH
Physiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
FIG. 8. Gi family G proteins are centrally involved in neutrophil
migration and activation and mediate their effects via the ␤2- and
␤3-isoforms of phospholipase C (PLC-␤2/␤3), phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI-3-K), or the RacGEF P-Rex1. Btk, Bruton’s kinase; DAG,
diacylglycerol; IP3, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; PIP2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; PI(3,4,5)P3, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate; PKC, protein kinase C.
oxidase activation (144). Recently, a new Rac GEF termed
P-Rex1 was shown to mediate Rac activation in response
to PIP3 and G␤␥ in neutrophils (672).
In lymphocytes, the balance between the TH1-driven
cellular immunity and TH2-driven humoral response is
mainly shaped by the cytokine pattern present during T
helper cell activation. PTX has long been known to promote TH1 responses (246, 270, 464), and this was suggested to be due to a negative regulation of IL-12 production by Gi, especially in dendritic cells (246, 279). Mice
lacking G␣i2 develop a diffuse inflammatory colitis resembling ulcerative colitis in humans (277, 552), and adenocarcinomas secondary to chronic inflammation were often observed (552). In these mice, levels of proinflammatory TH1-type cytokines and of IL-12 were increased (277),
and these changes clearly preceded the onset of bowel
inflammation (497, 498). In addition, antigen presenting
cells like CD8a⫹ dendritic cells showed a highly increased
basal production of IL-12 (246), suggesting that colitis in
these mice is a TH1-driven disease and that production of
proinflammatory TH1 cytokines is constitutively suppressed through a Gi-mediated pathway. Accordingly, activation of Gs-mediated signaling opposes these effects.
Cholera toxin, which activates Gs by ADP-ribosylation,
can be used as an adjuvant to promote TH2 responses
(419, 687, 707), and systemic administration of cholera
toxin during induction of TH1-based autoimmune diseases
can shift the immune response to the nonpathogenic TH2
phenotype (610). In general, the Gs family was suggested
to attenuate proinflammatory signaling, but direct evidence is lacking. In vitro, application of cAMP (62, 321,
671) or activation of typically Gs-coupled receptors, like
those for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide or PACAP
(135, 201), was shown to inhibit immune cell functions.
Immune cells from mice lacking the Gs-coupled adenosine A2A receptor respond with enhanced cytokine transcription and NF␬B activation to activation of Toll-like
receptors (404), and activation of Gs by cholera toxin
inhibits signaling in T cells (476, 595) or natural killer cells
(678).
The relevance of Gq/G11 and G12/G13 family G proteins in lymphocyte activation and proliferation is unclear. In vitro studies suggested an involvement of both
families in the activation of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, a
protein that is required for normal B-cell development and
activation (42, 309, 402). The Gq/G11 family, especially
human G␣16, has been implicated in T-cell activation in a
variety of in vitro studies (392, 603, 734), but the physiological relevance of these findings is unclear. In vivo, no
obvious immunological defects were observed in
G␣11⫺/⫺, G␣15⫺/⫺, or G␣15⫺/⫺;G␣q⫺/⫺ mice (132). However, after antigenic challenge, G␣q-deficient mice showed
impaired eosinophil recruitment to the lung, probably due
to an impaired production of granulocyte macrophage
colony stimulating factor GM-CSF by resident airway leu-
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
kocytes (56). Indirect evidence for a role of Gq/G11 and/or
G12/G13 in T-cell activation comes from RGS2-deficient
mice, which show impaired T-cell proliferation and IL-2
production after T-cell receptor stimulation, as well as
defective antiviral immunity in vivo (499). Inactivation of
the murine TxA2 receptor, which is typically coupled to
Gq/G11 and/or G12/G13 family G proteins (337, 492), caused
a lymphoproliferative syndrome due to prolonged
T-cell/DC interaction (317). Genetic inactivation of the
proton-sensitive G2A receptor (465), which was shown to
activate G12/G13, causes a late-onset autoimmune syndrome in mice (372), suggesting that these G proteins may
be involved in the regulation of lymphocyte activation.
G proteins play multiple roles in the nervous system
as most neurotransmitters also activate G protein-coupled metabotropic receptors to modulate neuronal activity. In contrast to ionotropic receptors, GPCRs that are
present pre- and postsynaptically mediate comparatively
slow responses. Only a few well-studied examples are
described below.
A. Inhibitory Modulation of Synaptic Transmission
The regulation of neurotransmitter release at presynaptic terminals is an important mechanism underlying the
modulation of synaptic transmission in the nervous system. Inhibitory regulation of neurotransmitter release is
mediated by various GPCRs like ␣2-adrenoceptors, ␮- and
␦-opioid receptors, GABAB receptors, adenosine A1, or
endocannabinoid CB1-receptors. These receptors have in
common that they couple to G proteins of the Gi/Go
family. A major mechanism by which these G proteins
mediate the inhibition of transmitter release is the inhibitory modulation of the action potential-evoked Ca2⫹ entry to the presynaptic terminal which is required to trigger
neurotransmitter release. N- and P/Q-type calcium channels that are concentrated at nerve terminals as well as
R-type calcium channels have been shown to be inhibited
via Gi/Go-coupled receptors (145). This inhibition is due to
the interaction of the G protein ␤␥-complex with the
␣1-subunit of Cav2.1–2.3 (89, 420). The ␤-subunit of the
channel as well as strong depolarization can reduce this
inhibition (61, 439). Most G␤␥ combinations are similarly
effective in inhibiting channels of the Cav2 family (202,
288, 557). There is some evidence that ␤␥-mediated inhibition of Cav2 channels is not the only mechanism
through which GPCRs mediate inhibition of neurotransmitter release (449). Also, G protein-coupled inwardly
rectifying K⫹ channels (GIRKs) are localized at presynaptic terminals; however, their physiological role in regulation of transmitter release from presynaptic terminals is
Physiol Rev • VOL
less clear (156, 524). GIRKs are well-established effectors
for G protein ␤␥-subunits (113, 356, 398, 718), and most
G␤␥ combinations appear to be similarly effective in activating GIRKs (681, 708). There is also increasing evidence that the G␤␥-mediated inhibition of neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic terminus involves mechanisms downstream of the regulation of Ca2⫹ (51). This
may involve the direct interaction between G␤␥ and the
core vesicle fusion machinery as suggested by the observation that G␤␥ can directly bind to SNARE proteins like
syntaxin and SNAP25 as well as cysteine string protein
(CSP) (50, 51, 305, 410). Evidence exists that presynaptic
Ca2⫹ channels, syntaxin1, and the ␣-subunit of Go are
components of a functional complex at the presynaptic
nerve terminal release site (384, 602).
Both Gi-type G proteins as well as Go are highly
abundant in the nervous system. Mice lacking the ␣-subunit of Go are smaller and weaker than their littermates
and have a greatly reduced life expectancy (308, 639). In
addition, these animals have tremors and occasional seizures, and they show an increased motor activity with an
extreme turning behavior. G␣o-deficient mice have also
been shown to be hyperalgesic (308). When neuronal cells
from G␣o-deficient mice were analyzed by electrophysiological methods for the regulation of GIRKs and voltagedependent Ca2⫹ channels through GPCRs, it was found
that the recovery kinetics after agonist washout were
much slower in the absence of G␣o. However, current
modulation via various receptors was as effectively as in
wild-type cells (225, 308). This indicates that other G
proteins especially Gi-type G proteins that are activated
by the same receptors can compensate for Go deficiency.
B. Modulation of Synaptic Transmission by the
Gq/G11-Mediated Signaling Pathway
In the nervous system, the G proteins Gq and G11 are
widely expressed (622), and they are involved in multiple
pathways that modulate neuronal function. The modulation of synaptic transmission has best been described at
the parallel fiber (PF)-Purkinje cell (PC) synapse in the
cerebellum. At the PF-PC synapse, Gq/G11 mediate the
effects of metabotropic glutamate group 1 receptors
(mGluR1). The Gq/G11-mediated IP3-dependent transient
increase in the dendritic Ca2⫹ concentration, which does
not require changes in the membrane potential (178, 621),
is important for the induction of long-term depression
(LTD) at the PF-PC synapse (452). LTD in turn is believed
to be one of the cellular mechanisms underlying cerebellar motor learning (66). Interestingly, while G␣q-deficient
mice develop an ataxia with clear signs of motor coordination deficits, G␣11-deficient animals show only very
subtle defects in motor coordination (237, 489). A detailed
comparison of both mouse lines showed that Ca2⫹ re-
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
V. NERVOUS SYSTEM
1179
1180
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
C. Roles of Gz and Golf in the Nervous System
Gs is the ubiquitous G protein that couples receptors in a stimulatory fashion to adenylyl cyclases. HowPhysiol Rev • VOL
ever, in a few tissues the G protein Golf is the predominant G protein that couples receptors to adenylyl cyclase. Apart from the olfactory system (see below),
G␣olf expression levels exceed those of G␣s also in a
few other defined brain regions like the nucleus accumbens, the olfactory tubercle, and the striatum (40, 120,
737). In the striatum, Golf appears to be critically involved in dopamine (D1) and adenosine (A2) receptormediated effects (258, 737). Data from various laboratories show that in the striatum, the dopamine D1 receptor, G␣olf and adenylyl cyclase type V as well as the
G protein ␥7-subunit are coexpressed. Strikingly, mice
lacking either of these signaling components show
clear signs of motor abnormalities (40, 298, 573, 703).
Mice lacking adenylyl cyclase V show an attenuated
D1-receptor/Golf-mediated adenylyl cyclase activation
in the striatum (298). G␥7-deficient mice have strongly
reduced levels of striatal G␣olf, and activation of adenylyl cyclase via dopamine receptors is abolished in the
striatal cells (573). Thus, in rodents, striatal D1 receptors appear to activate adenylyl cyclase V through a G
protein containing G␣olf and ␥7. In humans, it has recently been shown that G␣olf expression is markedly
diminished in the putamen of patients with Huntington
disease, while the putamen of patients with Parkinson
disease showed significantly increased levels of G␣olf
and G␥7 (120).
The G protein Gz is a member of the Gi/Go family. It
shares with other Gi/Go family members the ability to
inhibit adenylyl cyclase (176, 267). It is expressed primarily in brain, retina, adrenal medulla, and platelets. G␣zdeficient mice are viable and have no major phenotypical
abnormalities. However, G␣z deficiency results in an abnormal response to certain psychoactive drugs (253, 713).
This includes a considerably pronounced cocaine-induced increase in locomotor activity as well as a reduction in the short-term antinociceptive effects of morphine
(713). In addition, G␣z-deficient animals develop significantly increased tolerance to morphine (374). Interestingly, the behavioral effects of catecholamine reuptake
inhibitors that are used as antidepressant drugs were
abolished in mice lacking G␣z (713). While mice lacking
G␣z clearly indicate that Gz plays a role in the nervous
system and is involved in various drug responses, the
function of Gz on a cellular level in the nervous system
remains unclear.
VI. SENSORY SYSTEMS
G protein-mediated signal transduction processes
mediate the perception of many sensory stimuli. Odors,
light, and especially sweet and bitter taste substances act
directly on GPCRs that modulate the activity of primary
sensory cells via often very specialized heterotrimeric G
proteins.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
sponses to mGluR1 activation were absent in G␣q-deficient mice, whereas they are indistinguishable between
wild-type and G␣11-deficient animals (237). However, synaptically evoked LTD was decreased in G␣11-deficient
animals, but to a lesser extent than in G␣q-deficient mice.
The predominant role of Gq in Purkinje cells can be
explained by the higher expression compared with G␣q
(489). In fact, quantitative single-cell RT-PCR analysis
showed that Purkinje cells express at least 10-fold more
G␣q than G␣11 (237).
Lack of G␣q also results in a defect in the regression
of supernumerary climbing fibers innervating Purkinje
cells in the third postnatal week. This process is believed
to be due to a defect in the modulation of the PF-PC
synapse. Similar cerebellar phenotypes as in G␣q-deficient
mice have been described in mice lacking the mGluR1 (9,
323) as well as in mice lacking the ␤4-isoform of PLC,
which is predominantly expressed in the rostral cerebellum (324, 453). Interestingly mGluR1, G␣q, and PLC-␤4
can be found colocalized in dendritic spines of PCs (324,
622, 664), suggesting that they are components of a signaling cascade involved in the modulation of the PF-PC
synapse.
Interestingly, hippocampal synaptic plasticity is
equally impaired in G␣q- and G␣11-deficient mice (451).
However, mGluR-dependent long-term depression in the
hippocampal CA1-region was absent in G␣q-deficient mice
but appeared to be unaffected in mice lacking G␣11 (340).
Similarly, suppression of slow afterhyperpolarizations via
muscarinic and metabotropic glutamate receptors was
nearly abolished in G␣q-deficient mice but was unchanged
in mice lacking G␣11 (350).
Besides the voltage-dependent, G protein-mediated
inhibition of calcium channels via G␤␥ (see above), functional studies in calyx-type nerve terminals and in sympathetic neurons have identified a voltage-insensitive inhibition of calcium currents via metabotropic receptors
that is believed to involve Gq/G11 (322, 449). How Gq/G11
activation can lead to inhibition of voltage-dependent calcium channels is not clear. However, recent evidence suggests that the depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), the substrate of PLC plays a role (200).
There is also evidence that activation of Gq/G11mediated signaling on the postsynaptic site is involved
in the induction of retrograde signaling via the endocannabinoid system. Gq/G11-coupled receptors like
group I mGluRs as well as muscarinic M1 receptors can
lead to the activation of the retrogradely acting cannabinoid system by stimulating the formation of endocannabinoids (136, 189, 380, 409).
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
A. Visual System
Physiol Rev • VOL
ON bipolar cells together with mGluR6 and G␣o1 and may
play a critical role in increasing the deactivation of Go1
resulting in an acceleration in the rising phase of the light
response of the ON bipolar cells. This mechanism has
been suggested to match the kinetics of ON bipolar cell
activation to that of the OFF bipolar cells that arises
directly from ligand-gated channel activation by glutamate (141).
B. Olfactory/Pheromone System
Chemosensation by the olfactory system is based on
the expression of a huge variety of GPCRs specifically in
the olfactory epithelium. Individual olfactory sensory neurons appear to often express only one olfactory receptor,
and olfactory sensory neurons expressing one receptor
type converge to the same subgroup of glomeruli in the
olfactory bulb (457, 548). Rodents have ⬃1,000 different
olfactory receptors, whereas the number in humans is
considerably smaller and has been estimated to be ⬃350
(457). Despite this remarkable diversity on the level of the
receptor, the olfactory GPCRs appear to employ the same
G protein-mediated signal transduction pathway in olfactory sensory neurons. The G protein Golf is centrally
involved in signaling by olfactory receptors in response to
odorant stimuli, and G␣olf-deficient mice are anosmic exhibiting dramatically reduced electrophysiological responses to all odors tested (40). Golf, a G protein related
to Gs, couples olfactory receptors in the cilia to adenylyl
cyclase III, resulting in the increased formation of cAMP.
cAMP then activates a cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) cation channel consisting of three different subunits,
CNGA2, CNGA4, and CNGB1. The increase in cellular
Ca2⫹ activates a Ca2⫹-activated Cl⫺ channel that further
depolarizes the cell membrane (457, 548). Most G␣olfdeficient pups die a few days after birth due to insufficient
feeding. Rare surviving animals exhibit inadequate maternal behavior resulting in the death of all pups born to
G␣olf-deficient mothers. This indicates that normal nursing and mothering behavior in rodents is greatly dependent on an intact olfactory system (40). The fundamental
role of this signaling pathway is underscored by the anosmic phenotype found not only in mice lacking G␣olf, but
also adenylyl cyclase (693) as well as in mice lacking the
subunits of the olfactory CNG channel (30, 76, 731).
A second olfactory system called the accessory olfactory system or the vomeronasal system exists in most
mammals (152, 330). The peripheral sensory structure of
this system, the vomeronasal organ, is localized at the
bottom of the nasal cavity. The vomeronasal system responds to pheromones that mediate defined effects on
individuals of the same species and modulate social, aggressive, reproductive, and sexual behaviors. In the vomeronasal organ, two families of GPCRs, which in mice
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
The human retina contains two types of photoreceptor cells, rods and cones. While rods mediate mainly
achromatic night vision and contain one type of GPCR,
rhodopsin, cones are responsible for chromatic day vision
and contain three GPCRs (opsins), which are sensitive to
different parts of the visible light spectrum. Rhodopsin
and opsins are coupled to different but closely related
heterotrimeric G proteins. Rod-transducin (Gt-r) and
cone-transducin (Gt-c), which mediate the effects of rhodopsins and opsins, respectively, couple these receptors
in a stimulatory manner to cGMP-phosphodiesterase
(PDE) by binding and sequestering the inhibitory ␥-subunit of the retinal type 6 PDE (PDE6). Activation of PDE
lowers cytosolic cGMP levels leading to a decreased open
probability of cGMP-regulated cation channels in the
plasma membrane, which eventually results in hyperpolarization of the photoreceptor cells (24). In mice lacking
G␣t-r, the majority of retinal rods does not respond to light
any more, and these animals develop mild retinal degeneration with increasing age (84). To ensure an adequate
time resolution of the light signal, the transducin-mediated signaling process initiated by light-induced receptor
activation requires an efficient termination mechanism. At
least three proteins contribute to the rapid deactivation of
transducin by increasing its GTPase activity: RGS9 and
G␤5L, which form a complex, and the ␥-subunit of the
transducin effector cGMP-PDE (24). In mice lacking G␤5,
the levels of RGS9 and other G protein ␥-like (GGL)
domain RGS proteins in various tissues including retina
are drastically reduced, suggesting that the formation of
the RGS9 G␤5 complex is required for expression and
function of RGS9 (100). Animals lacking G␤5 or RGS9
show a strongly impaired termination of transducin-mediated signaling (99, 352, 407).
The light-induced hyperpolarization of photoreceptor
cells results in a decreased release of glutamate. Glutamate released from photoreceptor cells acts on two
classes of second-order neurons in the retina, one that
depolarizes in response to glutamate most likely via ionotropic glutamate receptors (OFF bipolar cells) and another that hyperpolarizes (ON bipolar cells). ON bipolar
cells are in the absence of light inhibited by glutamate
released from rods and cones, and this effect is mediated
by the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR6. Lightinduced hyperpolarization of rods results in decreased
glutamate release and disinhibition of ON bipolar cells
due to a decreased activation of mGluR6. In mice lacking
mGluR6 or the G␣o splice variant G␣o1, the modulation of
ON bipolar cells in response to light is abolished (142, 143,
425), indicating that Go is the principle mediator of glutamate-induced inhibition of ON bipolar cells, which occurs especially in the absence of light. The retina-specific
RGS protein Ret-RGS1 is localized in the dendritic tips of
1181
1182
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
C. Gustatory System
Unlike the olfactory system, chemosensation by
the gustatory system involves only in part G proteinmediated signal transduction mechanisms. The taste
qualities sweet, bitter, and amino acid (umami) signal
through GPCRs, whereas salty and sour tastants act
directly on ion channels (391). During recent years, two
families of candidate mammalian taste receptors, T1
receptors and T2 receptors, have been implicated in
sweet, umami, and bitter detection. The T2 receptors
are a group of ⬃30 GPCRs that are specifically expressed in taste buds of the tongue and that are linked
to bitter taste in mice and humans (6, 78, 94, 429). The
T1 receptor family consists of only three GPCRs and
has been shown to form heterodimers. T1R1 and T1R3
form a receptor that responds to amino acids carrying
the umami taste (477), and T1R2 forms heterodimers
Physiol Rev • VOL
with T1R3 that functions as a sweet receptor (386, 477).
Studies in knockout mice support a role of T1R2/T1R3
as a sweet receptor and of T1R1/T1R3 as an umami
receptor. In addition, T1R3 may form homodimers that
can also mediate some sweet tastes, and there is evidence that also a splice variant of the mGluR4 glutamate receptor may be involved in umami sensation (95,
96, 127, 730). The signal transduction mechanisms used
by different G protein-coupled taste receptors are less
clear. Gustducin, a G protein mainly expressed in taste
cells, is believed to be able to couple receptors to
phosphodiesterase resulting in a decrease of cyclic nucleotide levels. Mice lacking the ␣-subunit of gustducin
show impaired responses to bitter, sweet, as well as
umami tastes (247, 555, 692). However, the residual
bitter and sweet taste responses in G␣gust-deficient
mice and the finding that expression of a dominant
negative mutant of ␣-gustducin reduces this responsiveness even further indicates that ␣-gustducin is not
the only ␣-subunit involved in sweet, bitter, and umami
signal transduction (416, 556). In addition, ␣-gustducindeficient mice expressing the ␣-subunit of rod-transducin as a transgene driven by the ␣-gustducin promoter
partially recovered responses to sweet and bitter compounds (247). However, in mice lacking the ␣-subunit
of rod-transducin, responses to bitter and sweet compounds were normal, whereas the responses to various
umami compounds were impaired (249). Thus gustducin is involved in sweet, bitter, and umami taste detection, whereas rod-transducin mediates part of umami
taste sensation. Both gustducin and transducin are able
to activate phosphodiesterase, thereby leading to decreased cGMP levels, disinhibition of cyclic nucleotideinhibited channels, and calcium influx. In addition, bitter tastants have also been shown to activate PLC-␤2
through G␤␥ subunits (probably G␤3␥13) released from
gustducin or other G proteins (416), and PLC␤2 has
recently been shown to be involved in the activation of
transient receptor potential M5 (TRPM5) cation channels, which cause depolarization of the cells (729).
Interestingly, mice lacking PLC-␤2 or TRPM5 are completely insensitive not only to bitter tastants but also to
sweet and umami (729), indicating that the G protein/
PLC-␤2/TRPM5 signaling cascade is centrally involved
in the sensation of these three taste qualities. However,
other signal transduction pathways have been suggested, and it is not clear how gustducin or transducin
functions are related to those of PLC␤2 and TRPM5.
VII. DEVELOPMENT
Although heterotrimeric G proteins are expressed
throughout the prenatal development of the mammalian
organism, only a limited number of studies have so far
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
consist of ⬃150 members each, have been identified. The
V1 receptor family is expressed in vomeronasal sensory
neurons together with the G protein Gi2, whereas the V2
receptor family is expressed in a different population of
neurons that coexpresses the G protein Go (428). In humans, no intact genes coding for V2 family receptors have
been found, and most V1 receptor genes are pseudogenes,
suggesting that the function of the vomeronasal organ of
rodents is not fully preserved in humans and higher primates. Similar to the olfactory receptors, individual members of the V1 and V2 receptor families appear to be
specifically expressed in individual sensory neurons that
project to a small group of glomeruli in defined regions of
the accessory olfactory bulb. The striking coexpression of
V1 receptor family members and Gi2 and of V2 receptor
family members and Go suggests that these G proteins
mediate the cellular effects induced by activation of the
respective pheromone receptors. Consistent with this,
G␣i2-deficient mice have a reduced number of vomeronasal sensory neurons that normally express G␣i2 and show
alterations in the behaviors for which an intact vomeronasal organ is believed to be required like maternal aggressive behavior as well as aggressive behavior in males
exposed to an intruder (486). In mice lacking G␣o apoptotic death of vomeronasal sensory cells which usually
express G␣o has been observed (623). Despite these behavioral and anatomical abnormalities in G␣i2- and G␣odeficient mice, a direct involvement of G␣i2 in signaling of
V1 receptor-expressing cells and of G␣o in V2 receptorexpressing cells has not been demonstrated so far. The
transient receptor potential channel TRP2, which is expressed in vomeronasal sensory neurons, has been identified as a critical downstream mediator of the signal
transduction pathway in vomeronasal sensory neurons
(383, 605).
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
addressed the role of G proteins in development. Most
insights into the developmental role of G protein-mediated signaling pathways came from studies on mouse
mutants lacking individual G protein ␣-subunits. Some
null mutations like those of the genes encoding G␣s, G␣13,
or G␣q/G␣11 are embryonic lethal (493, 495, 723) and
clearly indicate an essential role during development.
A. G13-Mediated Signaling in
Embryonic Angiogenesis
B. Gq/G11-Mediated Signaling During Embryonic
Myocardial Growth
The G␣q/G␣11-mediated signaling pathway appears to
play a pivotal role in the regulation of the physiological
Physiol Rev • VOL
myocardial growth during embryogenesis. This is demonstrated by the phenotype of mice lacking both G␣q and
G␣11. These mice die at embryonic day 11 due to a severe
thinning of the myocardial layer of the heart (495). Both
the trabecular ventricular myocardium as well as the
subepicardial layer appeared to be underdeveloped.
There are several Gq/G11-coupled receptors that may be
involved in the regulation of cardiac growth at midgestation. Inactivation of the gene encoding the Gq/G11-coupled
serotonin 5-HT2B receptors in mice resulted in cardiomyopathy with a loss of ventricular mass due to a reduction
in the number and size of cardiomyocytes (473), and lack
of both endothelin A (ETA) and endothelin B (ETB) receptors, which can signal through Gq/G11, resulted in
midgestational cardiac failure (710). Most likely there is
some degree of signaling redundancy with several inputs
into the Gq/G11-mediated signaling pathway, and only deletion of both the G␣q and the G␣11 gene results in severe
phenotypic defects during early heart development. Interestingly, one intact allele of the G␣q or the G␣11 gene was
sufficient to overcome the early developmental block in
heart development. However, newborn mice that have
only one intact G␣q or G␣11 allele show an increased
incidence of cardiac defects ranging from septal defects
to univentricular hearts (495).
C. Neural Crest Development
Signaling through Gq/G11 has been implicated in the
proliferation and/or migration of neural crest cells. ET-1
and the Gq/G11-coupled endothelin A (ETA) receptor are
essential for normal function of craniofacial and cardiac
neural crest. ET-1 and ETA receptor-deficient mice die
shortly after birth due to respiratory failure (114, 357,
358). Severe skeletal abnormalities could be observed in
their craniofacial region, including a homeotic transformation of mandibular arch-derived structures into maxillary-like structures as well as absence of auditory ossicles
and tympanic ring (503, 553). A hypomorphic phenotype
similar to, but less severe than ETA or ET-1 null mice
could be observed in G␣q (⫺/⫺);G␣11 (⫺/⫹) mice (495).
In G␣q/G␣11 double-deficient mice studied at embryonic
day 9.5, a expression of ET-1-dependent transcription
factors like Dlx3, Dlx6, dHAND, and eHAND was ablated
(297), a finding similar to those made in mice lacking ETA
or ET-1 (114, 629). This suggests that in the neural crestderived pharyngeal arch mesenchyme, a signaling pathway involving ET-1, ETA receptors, and G␣q/G␣11 is operating. ET-1, which is expressed in the pharyngeal
endoderm binds to ETA receptors in neural crest cells of
the pharyngeal archs of embryonic day 9.5 embryos
(114). Gq/G11 then couples ETA receptors via phospholipase C-␤ activation to the activation of the expression of
genes encoding transcription factors including Dlx3,
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Both G12 and G13 have been shown to induce cytoskeletal rearrangements in a Rho-dependent manner
(79, 563). Lack of G␣13 in mice results in embryonic
lethality at midgestation. At this stage, mouse embryos
express both G␣12 and G␣13. G␣13-deficient mouse embryos show a defective organization of the vascular system, which is most prominent in the yolk sac and in the
head mesenchyme (493). Vasculogenic blood vessel formation through the differentiation of progenitor cells into
endothelial cells was not affected by the loss of G␣13.
However, angiogenesis which includes sprouting, growth,
migration, and remodeling of existing endothelial cells,
was severely disturbed, and the maintenance of the integrity of newly developed vessels appeared to be defective
in G␣13-deficient embryos. Chemokinetic effects of
thrombin, which acts through protease-activated receptors (PARs), were completely abrogated in fibroblasts
lacking G␣13, indicating that G␣13 is required for full
migratory responses of cells to certain stimuli. Interestingly, approximately one-half of the embryos that lack the
protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) also die at midgestation with bleeding from multiple sites (118). This phenotype of embryos lacking PAR-1 which is expressed in
endothelial cells, can be rescued by a PAR-1 transgene
whose expression is driven by an endothelial-specific promoter (226). This clearly indicates that PAR-1 function is
required for proper vascular development. The more severe embryonic defect of G␣13 compared with PAR-1deficient embryos suggests that G␣13 function is not restricted to protease-activated receptor signaling.
The defects observed in G␣13-deficient embryos and
cells occurred in the presence of G␣12, and loss of G␣12
did not result in any obvious defects during development.
Interestingly, G␣12-deficient mice that carry only one intact
G␣13 allele also die in utero (228). This genetic evidence
indicates that G␣13 and its closest relative, G␣12, fulfill at
least partially nonoverlapping cellular and biologic functions, which are required for proper development.
1183
1184
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
VIII. CELL GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION
During recent years it has become obvious that
GPCRs and heterotrimeric G proteins play important
roles in the regulation of cell growth and that some G
proteins can induce cellular transformation (140, 229,
549). Many G protein ␣-subunits are able to transform
cells under certain conditions when rendered constitutively active by inducing GTPase inactivating mutations.
In some cases, activated G protein ␣-subunits have been
found in human tumors.
A. Constitutively Active Mutants of G␣q/G␣11
Family Members
Transforming mutants of G␣q/G␣11 have not been
found in human tumors. However, their potential oncogenic function has been studied in cell lines by expression of constitutively active forms like G␣qQ209L or
G␣11Q209L. These studies indicated that activated G␣q/11
can lead to transformation of fibroblasts when expressed
at low levels (318) but induces growth inhibition and
apoptosis when expressed at higher levels (140). Interestingly, various Gq/G11-coupled receptors have been shown
to possess highly transforming activity. This has very
early been shown for the 5-HT2C serotonin receptor as
well as for the M1, M3, and M5 muscarinic receptors,
Physiol Rev • VOL
which are able to transform fibroblasts in the presence of
a receptor agonist (231, 315). It is well known that various
Gq/G11-coupled neuropeptide receptors like those for gastrin-releasing peptides, galanin, neuromedin B, vasopressin, and others are involved in the autocrine and paracrine
stimulation of proliferation in small cell lung cancer cells
(250). This suggests that endogenous Gq/G11-coupled receptors can be tumorigenic in the presence of excess
ligands. In vitro experiments indicate that constitutively
active Gq/G11-coupled receptors can enhance mitogenesis
and tumorigenicity (14), and the virally encoded KSHV-G
protein-coupled receptor, which is a constitutively active
Gq/G11-coupled receptor, has been shown to behave as a
viral oncogene and angiogenesis activator and appears to
be involved in Kaposi sarcoma progression (26, 29, 458).
B. The Oncogenic Potential of G␣s
Gs-mediated increases in cAMP can induce growth
inhibition in some tissues while in others it can have a
transforming potential. The gsp oncogene encodes a
GTPase-deficient mutant of G␣s and has been found in up
to 30% of thyroid toxic adenomas and in a few thyroid
carcinomas. A constitutively active mutant of G␣s has
also been found in GH-secreting pituitary adenomas as
well as in the McCune-Albright syndrome (172, 599). Interestingly, responses to constitutively active G␣s are cell
type specific. In some cells, an increase in cAMP and
consecutive activation of PKA can inhibit Raf kinase and
prevent transformation of cells (102). In contrast, in various neuronal and neuroendocrine cells, G␣s-mediated
cAMP formation activates cell growth (164, 551). The
transforming potential of Gs obviously depends on the
cellular context that links Gs-mediated cAMP formation
to inhibition or stimulation of ERK (604). While various
kinases upstream of ERK have been involved in cAMP/
PKA-induced ERK regulation, the determinants of the net
proliferative effect of cAMP remain elusive (604). A proposed role of the cAMP-activated Epac/Rap1 pathway in
cAMP-mediated ERK activation has been questioned
(163).
The potential of Gs-mediated signaling to induce tumor formation in endocrine cells is also underlined by the
fact that constitutively active mutants of various Gs-coupled receptors have been detected in human tumors. Up
to 80% of hyperfunctioning human thyroid adenomas and
a minority of differentiated thyroid carcinomas have been
shown to contain constitutively active TSH receptors
(507, 508). Similarly, mutations resulting in constitutive
activation of the luteinizing hormone receptor have been
shown to cause hyperplastic growth of Leydig cells in a
form of familial male precautious puberty (578) as well as
in Leydig cell tumors (393).
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Dlx6, dHAND and eHAND (297). In contrast, G␣q (⫺/⫹);
G␣11 (⫺/⫺) mice did not show any craniofacial abnormalities indicating that ETA receptor-mediated neural crest
development requires a certain amount of G␣q/G␣11. It is
also possible that G␣11 is expressed at lower levels than
G␣q in the neural crest-derived mesenchyme of the pharyngeal archs, or that the ETA receptor couples preferentially to G␣q.
The ET-3 and ETB receptor system has been shown
to be involved in the development of neural crest cells
taking part in the formation of epidermal melanocytes as
well as the myenteric ganglia of the distal colon. In mice
lacking ET-3 or the ETB receptor, this results in whitespotted hair and skin color as well as a dilation of the
proximal colon (38, 710). These defects are very similar to
those present in humans suffering from multigenic
Hirschsprung disease, which in various cases has been
shown to be caused by mutations in ETB or ET-3 genes
(158, 204). Whether Gq/G11-mediated signaling is involved
in ET-3-induced differentiation of cutaneous and enteric
neural crest cells has not been studied directly so far.
However, several hypermorphic alleles of the G␣q and
G␣11 genes have recently been found in mouse mutants
with an aberrant accumulation of pigment-producing melanocytes (302, 642). Genetic evidence was provided that
the action of G␣q/G␣11 depended on the ETB receptor.
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
C. Gi-Mediated Cell Transformation
D. Cellular Growth Induced by G␣12/G␣13
The G protein ␣-subunit G␣12 was identified as an
oncogene present in soft tissue sarcoma (93). This oncogene, termed gep, encoded the wild-type form of G␣12. At
the same time, the potent transforming ability of constitutively active mutants of G␣12 and G␣13 could be shown
in various systems (307, 645, 655, 703, 704). While no
activating mutation of G␣12 or G␣13 has been found in
human tumors, increased expression levels of both proteins have been detected in various human cancers (230).
Both G␣12 and G␣13 can induce activation of the small
GTPase RhoA via regulation of a subgroup of RhoGEF
proteins (195, 236). Interestingly, RhoA has been found to
be overexpressed in various tumor types (2, 192, 320), and
Rho GTPases have been involved in carcinogenesis and
cancer progression (385, 564). Recently, an interesting
link between G12/G13- and cadherin-mediated signaling
was described (327, 434, 435). Active G␣12 and G␣13 can
interact with the cytoplasmic domain of some type I and
type II class cadherins, like E-cadherin, N-cadherin, or
cadherin-14, causing the release of ␤-catenin from cadherins and its relocalization to the cytoplasm and nucleus,
where it is involved in transcriptional activation. In addition, activated G␣12 can block cadherin-mediated cell adhesion in various cells including breast cancer cells (434).
This downregulation of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion
and the release of ␤-catenin from cadherins may be a
mechanism by which G␣12/G␣13 induces cellular transformation and metastatic tumor progression.
IX. CONCLUDING REMARKS
The field of heterotrimeric G proteins was launched
more than 30 years ago when the involvement of guanine
nucleotides in the hormonal stimulation of adenylyl cyclase was discovered. Since then, the field has enormously expanded, and G protein-mediated signal transduction has turned out to be the most widely used transPhysiol Rev • VOL
membrane signaling system in higher organisms. It
consists of hundreds of receptors that signal to dozens of
G proteins and effectors. The modular nature of this
signal transduction system with multiple components enables cells to assemble vast, combinatorially complex
signaling units that allow different cells in different contexts to respond adequately to extracellular signals. There
is probably not a single cell in a mammalian organism that
does not employ several G protein-mediated signaling
pathways. Often these pathways integrate the information
conveyed by several receptors recognizing different ligands. Only in recent years did we gain a more systematic
insight into the role of individual G proteins on a cellular
and supracellular level. However, many aspects of G protein-mediated signaling, especially under in vivo conditions, still remain to be elucidated. While many components of the system have been identified, new approaches
are required to determine the exact composition of individual signaling units and to define their exact cellular
localization. This will probably lead to the identification
of even more proteins and nonprotein factors that modulate G protein-mediated signaling. An increasing use of
in vivo models is necessary to test the significance of
signaling mechanisms described in vitro under normal
conditions as well as in disease states. The parallel application of genetic, genomic, and of new proteomic approaches will be required to continue to define how the G
protein-mediated signaling system works on a molecular,
cellular, and systemic level. Such an integrated view will
provide the basis for a full understanding of the physiological and pathophysiological role of G protein-mediated
signaling and will allow the full exploitation of this multifaceted signaling system as a target for pharmacological
interventions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: S.
Offermanns, Institute of Pharmacology, Univ. of Heidelberg, Im
Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany (E-mail:
[email protected]).
REFERENCES
1. Abbracchio MP, Boeynaems JM, Barnard EA, Boyer JL,
Kennedy C, Miras-Portugal MT, King BF, Gachet C, Jacobson
KA, Weisman GA, and Burnstock G. Characterization of the
UDP-glucose receptor (re-named here the P2Y14 receptor) adds
diversity to the P2Y receptor family. Trends Pharmacol Sci 24:
52–55, 2003.
2. Abraham MT, Kuriakose MA, Sacks PG, Yee H, Chiriboga L,
Bearer EL, and Delacure MD. Motility-related proteins as markers for head and neck squamous cell cancer. Laryngoscope 111:
1285–1289, 2001.
3. Abrams CS and Brass LF. Platelet signal transduction. In: Hemostasis and Thrombosis, edited by Colman RW, Hirsh J, Marder VJ,
Clowes AW, and George JN. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott William &
Wilkins, 2001, p. 541–559.
4. Adams JW, Migita DS, Yu MK, Young R, Hellickson MS, Castro-Vargas FE, Domingo JD, Lee PH, Bui JS, and Henderson
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
The gip2 oncogene that encodes an active mutant of
G␣i2 has been found in adrenal cortical tumors as well as
in human ovarian sex cord stromal tumors (406). It is a
matter of debate how frequent these G␣i2 mutations occur
in these tumors. Expression of constitutively active G␣i2
in fibroblast cell lines leads to cell transformation, an
effect which has not been completely understood yet, but
may result from the derepression of the Ras/ERK pathway
in response to a decrease in cellular cAMP levels (446,
640). Depending on the cellular system, Gi-mediated release of free ␤␥-subunits may also be involved in the
growth-promoting effect of G␣i2 (122).
1185
1186
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
SA. Prostaglandin F2 alpha stimulates hypertrophic growth of
cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. J Biol Chem 271: 1179 –
1186, 1996.
Adams JW, Sakata Y, Davis MG, Sah VP, Wang Y, Liggett SB,
Chien KR, Brown JH, and Dorn GW II. Enhanced Galphaq
signaling: a common pathway mediates cardiac hypertrophy and
apoptotic heart failure. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95: 10140 –10145,
1998.
Adler E, Hoon MA, Mueller KL, Chandrashekar J, Ryba NJ,
and Zuker CS. A novel family of mammalian taste receptors. Cell
100: 693–702, 2000.
Ahren B. Autonomic regulation of islet hormone secretion—implications for health and disease. Diabetologia 43: 393– 410, 2000.
Ahren B, Taborsky GJ Jr, and Porte D Jr. Neuropeptidergic
versus cholinergic and adrenergic regulation of islet hormone secretion. Diabetologia 29: 827– 836, 1986.
Aiba A, Kano M, Chen C, Stanton ME, Fox GD, Herrup K,
Zwingman TA, and Tonegawa S. Deficient cerebellar long-term
depression and impaired motor learning in mGluR1 mutant mice.
Cell 79: 377–388, 1994.
Akhter SA, Luttrell LM, Rockman HA, Iaccarino G, Lefkowitz
RJ, and Koch WJ. Targeting the receptor-Gq interface to inhibit in
vivo pressure overload myocardial hypertrophy. Science 280: 574 –
577, 1998.
Al-Aoukaty A, Rolstad B, Giaid A, and Maghazachi AA. MIP3alpha, MIP-3beta and fractalkine induce the locomotion and the
mobilization of intracellular calcium, and activate the heterotrimeric G proteins in human natural killer cells. Immunology 95:
618 – 624, 1998.
Alblas J, Ulfman L, Hordijk P, and Koenderman L. Activation
of Rhoa and ROCK are essential for detachment of migrating
leukocytes. Mol Biol Cell 12: 2137–2145, 2001.
Aldred MA and Trembath RC. Activating and inactivating mutations in the human GNAS1 gene. Hum Mutat 16: 183–189, 2000.
Allen LF, Lefkowitz RJ, Caron MG, and Cotecchia S. G protein-coupled receptor genes as protooncogenes: constitutively activating mutation of the alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor enhances
mitogenesis and tumorigenicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:
11354 –11358, 1991.
Allgeier A, Laugwitz KL, Van Sande J, Schultz G, and Dumont
JE. Multiple G protein coupling of the dog thyrotropin receptor.
Mol Cell Endocrinol 127: 81–90, 1997.
Allgeier A, Offermanns S, Van Sande J, Spicher K, Schultz G,
and Dumont JE. The human thyrotropin receptor activates G
proteins Gs and Gq/11. J Biol Chem 269: 13733–13735, 1994.
Amatruda TT, 3rd Steele DA, Slepak VZ, and Simon MI. G
alpha 16, a G protein alpha subunit specifically expressed in hematopoietic cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88: 5587–5591, 1991.
Anand-Srivastava MB. Enhanced expression of inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein in spontaneously hypertensive
rats. Relationship to adenylate cyclase inhibition. Biochem J 288:
79 – 85, 1992.
Anand-Srivastava MB, Picard S, and Thibault C. Altered expression of inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins (Gi
alpha) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Am J Hypertens 4:
840 – 843, 1991.
Anonymous. Freely associating. Nat Genet 22: 1–2, 1999.
Arai H and Charo IF. Differential regulation of G protein-mediated signaling by chemokine receptors. J Biol Chem 271: 21814 –
21819, 1996.
Arkhammar P, Juntti-Berggren L, Larsson O, Welsh M, Nanberg E, Sjoholm A, Kohler M, and Berggren PO. Protein kinase
C modulates the insulin secretory process by maintaining a proper
function of the beta-cell voltage-activated Ca2⫹ channels. J Biol
Chem 269: 2743–2749, 1994.
Arshavsky V and Bownds MD. Regulation of deactivation of
photoreceptor G protein by its target enzyme and cGMP. Nature
357: 416 – 417, 1992.
Arshavsky VY, Lamb TD, and Pugh EN Jr. G proteins and
phototransduction. Annu Rev Physiol 64: 153–187, 2002.
Arthur JM, Collinsworth GP, Gettys TW, Quarles LD, and
Raymond JR. Specific coupling of a cation-sensing receptor to G
Physiol Rev • VOL
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
protein alpha-subunits in MDCK cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol
273: F129 –F135, 1997.
Arvanitakis L, Geras-Raaka E, Varma A, Gershengorn MC,
and Cesarman E. Human herpesvirus KSHV encodes a constitutively active G protein-coupled receptor linked to cell proliferation.
Nature 385: 347–350, 1997.
Ashcroft FM, Harrison DE, and Ashcroft SJ. Glucose induces
closure of single potassium channels in isolated rat pancreatic
beta-cells. Nature 312: 446 – 448, 1984.
Bacon KB and Camp RD. Interleukin (IL)-8-induced in vitro human lymphocyte migration is inhibited by cholera and pertussis
toxins and inhibitors of protein kinase C. Biochem Biophys Res
Commun 169: 1099 –1104, 1990.
Bais C, Santomasso B, Coso O, Arvanitakis L, Raaka EG,
Gutkind JS, Asch AS, Cesarman E, Gershengorn MC, Mesri
EA, and Gerhengorn MC. G protein-coupled receptor of Kaposi’s
sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is a viral oncogene and angiogenesis activator. Nature 391: 86 – 89, 1998.
Baker H, Cummings DM, Munger SD, Margolis JW, Franzen L,
Reed RR, and Margolis FL. Targeted deletion of a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit (OCNC1): biochemical and morphological consequences in adult mice. J Neurosci 19: 9313–9321, 1999.
Bargatze RF and Butcher EC. Rapid G protein-regulated activation event involved in lymphocyte binding to high endothelial
venules. J Exp Med 178: 367–372, 1993.
Barman SA, Zhu S, Han G, and White RE. cAMP activates BKCa
channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle via cGMP-dependent protein kinase. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 284:
L1004 –L1011, 2003.
Bastepe M, Gunes Y, Perez-Villamil B, Hunzelman J, Weinstein LS, and Juppner H. Receptor-mediated adenylyl cyclase
activation through XLalpha(s), the extra-large variant of the stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit. Mol Endocrinol 16: 1912–1919,
2002.
Bastepe M, Pincus JE, Sugimoto T, Tojo K, Kanatani M,
Azuma Y, Kruse K, Rosenbloom AL, Koshiyama H, and Juppner H. Positional dissociation between the genetic mutation responsible for pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib and the associated methylation defect at exon A/B: evidence for a long-range
regulatory element within the imprinted GNAS1 locus. Hum Mol
Genet 10: 1231–1241, 2001.
Bathgate RA, Samuel CS, Burazin TC, Gundlach AL, and
Tregear GW. Relaxin: new peptides, receptors and novel actions.
Trends Endocrinol Metab 14: 207–213, 2003.
Battey J and Wada E. Two distinct receptor subtypes for mammalian bombesin-like peptides. Trends Neurosci 14: 524 –528, 1991.
Bauer A, McDonald AD, Nasir K, Peller L, Rade JJ, Miller JM,
Heldman AW, and Donahue JK. Inhibitory G protein overexpression provides physiologically relevant heart rate control in persistent atrial fibrillation. Circulation 110: 3115–3120, 2004.
Baynash AG, Hosoda K, Giaid A, Richardson JA, Emoto N,
Hammer RE, and Yanagisawa M. Interaction of endothelin-3 with
endothelin-B receptor is essential for development of epidermal
melanocytes and enteric neurons. Cell 79: 1277–1285, 1994.
Becker EL, Kanaho Y, and Kermode JC. Nature and functioning
of the pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein of neutrophils. Biomed
Pharmacother 41: 289 –297, 1987.
Belluscio L, Gold GH, Nemes A, and Axel R. Mice deficient in
G(olf) are anosmic. Neuron 20: 69 – 81, 1998.
Belvisi MG, Saunders M, Yacoub M, and Mitchell JA. Expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 in human airway smooth muscle is associated with profound reductions in cell growth. Br J Pharmacol
125: 1102–1108, 1998.
Bence K, Ma W, Kozasa T, and Huang XY. Direct stimulation of
Bruton’s tyrosine kinase by G(q)-protein alpha-subunit. Nature 389:
296 –299, 1997.
Bengtsson T, Stendahl O, and Andersson T. The role of the
cytosolic free Ca2⫹ transient for fMet-Leu-Phe induced actin polymerization in human neutrophils. Eur J Cell Biol 42: 338 –343, 1986.
Bers DM. Cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. Nature 415:
198 –205, 2002.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
10.
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
62. Bourne HR, Lichtenstein LM, Melmon KL, Henney CS, Weinstein Y, and Shearer GM. Modulation of inflammation and immunity by cyclic AMP. Science 184: 19 –28, 1974.
63. Boutin JA, Suply T, Audinot V, Rodriguez M, Beauverger P,
Nicolas JP, Galizzi JP, and Fauchere JL. Melanin-concentrating
hormone and its receptors: state of the art. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 80: 388 –395, 2002.
64. Bowery NG, Bettler B, Froestl W, Gallagher JP, Marshall F,
Raiteri M, Bonner TI, and Enna SJ. International Union of
Pharmacology. XXXIII. Mammalian gamma-aminobutyric acid(B)
receptors: structure and function. Pharmacol Rev 54: 247–264,
2002.
65. Bowman JC, Steinberg SF, Jiang T, Geenen DL, Fishman GI,
and Buttrick PM. Expression of protein kinase C beta in the heart
causes hypertrophy in adult mice and sudden death in neonates.
J Clin Invest 100: 2189 –2195, 1997.
66. Boyden ES, Katoh A, and Raymond JL. Cerebellum-dependent
learning: the role of multiple plasticity mechanisms. Annu Rev
Neurosci 27: 581– 609, 2004.
67. Brighton PJ, Szekeres PG, and Willars GB. Neuromedin U and
its receptors: structure, function, and physiological roles. Pharmacol Rev 56: 231–248, 2004.
68. Brink C, Dahlen SE, Drazen J, Evans JF, Hay DW, Nicosia S,
Serhan CN, Shimizu T, and Yokomizo T. International Union of
Pharmacology. XXXVII. Nomenclature for leukotriene and lipoxin
receptors. Pharmacol Rev 55: 195–227, 2003.
69. Brink C, Dahlen SE, Drazen J, Evans JF, Hay DW, Rovati GE,
Serhan CN, Shimizu T, and Yokomizo T. International Union of
Pharmacology. XLIV. Nomenclature for the oxoeicosanoid receptor. Pharmacol Rev 56: 149 –157, 2004.
70. Briscoe CP, Tadayyon M, Andrews JL, Benson WG, Chambers
JK, Eilert MM, Ellis C, Elshourbagy NA, Goetz AS, Minnick
DT, Murdock PR, Sauls HR Jr, Shabon U, Spinage LD, Strum
JC, Szekeres PG, Tan KB, Way JM, Ignar DM, Wilson S, and
Muir AI. The orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR40 is activated by medium and long chain fatty acids. J Biol Chem 278:
11303–11311, 2003.
71. Bristow MR. Why does the myocardium fail? Insights from basic
science. Lancet 352 Suppl 1: S8 –S14, 1998.
72. Brown AJ, Goldsworthy SM, Barnes AA, Eilert MM, Tcheang
L, Daniels D, Muir AI, Wigglesworth MJ, Kinghorn I, Fraser
NJ, Pike NB, Strum JC, Steplewski KM, Murdock PR, Holder
JC, Marshall FH, Szekeres PG, Wilson S, Ignar DM, Foord
SM, Wise A, and Dowell SJ. The orphan G protein-coupled
receptors GPR41 and GPR43 are activated by propionate and other
short chain carboxylic acids. J Biol Chem 278: 11312–11319, 2003.
73. Brown EM, Gamba G, Riccardi D, Lombardi M, Butters R,
Kifor O, Sun A, Hediger MA, Lytton J, and Hebert SC. Cloning
and characterization of an extracellular Ca(2⫹)-sensing receptor
from bovine parathyroid. Nature 366: 575–580, 1993.
74. Brown EM and MacLeod RJ. Extracellular calcium sensing and
extracellular calcium signaling. Physiol Rev 81: 239 –297, 2001.
75. Brown EM, Vassilev PM, Quinn S, and Hebert SC. G proteincoupled, extracellular Ca(2⫹)-sensing receptor: a versatile regulator of diverse cellular functions. Vitam Horm 55: 1–71, 1999.
76. Brunet LJ, Gold GH, and Ngai J. General anosmia caused by a
targeted disruption of the mouse olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated
cation channel. Neuron 17: 681– 693, 1996.
77. Buck L and Axel R. A novel multigene family may encode odorant
receptors: a molecular basis for odor recognition. Cell 65: 175–187,
1991.
78. Bufe B, Hofmann T, Krautwurst D, Raguse JD, and Meyerhof
W. The human TAS2R16 receptor mediates bitter taste in response
to beta-glucopyranosides. Nat Genet 32: 397– 401, 2002.
79. Buhl AM, Johnson NL, Dhanasekaran N, and Johnson GL. G
alpha 12 and G alpha 13 stimulate Rho-dependent stress fiber
formation and focal adhesion assembly. J Biol Chem 270: 24631–
24634, 1995.
80. Bunzow JR, Sonders MS, Arttamangkul S, Harrison LM,
Zhang G, Quigley DI, Darland T, Suchland KL, Pasumamula S,
Kennedy JL, Olson SB, Magenis RE, Amara SG, and Grandy
DK. Amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, lysergic
acid diethylamide, and metabolites of the catecholamine neuro-
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
45. Berstein G, Blank JL, Jhon DY, Exton JH, Rhee SG, and Ross
EM. Phospholipase C-beta 1 is a GTPase-activating protein for
Gq/11, its physiologic regulator. Cell 70: 411– 418, 1992.
46. Best L and Malaisse WJ. Stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown in rat pancreatic islets by glucose and carbamylcholine.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 116: 9 –16, 1983.
47. Bettahi I, Marker CL, Roman MI, and Wickman K. Contribution
of the Kir3.1 subunit to the muscarinic-gated atrial potassium channel IKACh. J Biol Chem 277: 48282– 48288, 2002.
48. Biebermann H, Schoneberg T, Hess C, Germak J, Gudermann
T, and Gruters A. The first activating TSH receptor mutation in
transmembrane domain 1 identified in a family with nonautoimmune hyperthyroidism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86: 4429 – 4433,
2001.
49. Birnbaumer L. Signal transduction by G proteins: basic principles,
molecular diversity, and structural basis of their actions. In: Handbook of Cell Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA and Dennis EA.
Boston, MA: Academic, 2004, p. 557–569.
50. Blackmer T, Larsen EC, Bartleson C, Kowalchyk JA, Yoon EJ,
Preininger AM, Alford S, Hamm HE, and Martin TF. G protein
betagamma directly regulates SNARE protein fusion machinery for
secretory granule exocytosis. Nat Neurosci 8: 421– 425, 2005.
51. Blackmer T, Larsen EC, Takahashi M, Martin TF, Alford S,
and Hamm HE. G protein betagamma subunit-mediated presynaptic inhibition: regulation of exocytotic fusion downstream of Ca2⫹
entry. Science 292: 293–297, 2001.
52. Blumer JB and Lanier SM. Accessory proteins for G proteinsignaling systems: activators of G protein signaling and other nonreceptor proteins influencing the activation state of G proteins.
Receptors Channels 9: 195–204, 2003.
53. Bockaert J, Claeysen S, Becamel C, Pinloche S, and Dumuis
A. G protein-coupled receptors: dominant players in cell-cell communication. Int Rev Cytol 212: 63–132, 2002.
54. Bonini JA, Jones KA, Adham N, Forray C, Artymyshyn R,
Durkin MM, Smith KE, Tamm JA, Boteju LW, Lakhlani PP,
Raddatz R, Yao WJ, Ogozalek KL, Boyle N, Kouranova EV,
Quan Y, Vaysse PJ, Wetzel JM, Branchek TA, Gerald C, and
Borowsky B. Identification and characterization of two G proteincoupled receptors for neuropeptide FF. J Biol Chem 275: 39324 –
39331, 2000.
55. Borchers MT, Biechele T, Justice JP, Ansay T, Cormier S,
Mancino V, Wilkie TM, Simon MI, Lee NA, and Lee JJ. Methacholine-induced airway hyperresponsiveness is dependent on Galphaq signaling. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 285: L114 –
L120, 2003.
56. Borchers MT, Justice PJ, Ansay T, Mancino V, McGarry MP,
Crosby J, Simon MI, Lee NA, and Lee JJ. Gq signaling is
required for allergen-induced pulmonary eosinophilia. J Immunol
168: 3543–3549, 2002.
57. Borowsky B, Adham N, Jones KA, Raddatz R, Artymyshyn R,
Ogozalek KL, Durkin MM, Lakhlani PP, Bonini JA, Pathirana
S, Boyle N, Pu X, Kouranova E, Lichtblau H, Ochoa FY,
Branchek TA, and Gerald C. Trace amines: identification of a
family of mammalian G protein-coupled receptors. Proc Natl Acad
Sci USA 98: 8966 – 8971, 2001.
58. Boschero AC, Szpak-Glasman M, Carneiro EM, Bordin S, Paul
I, Rojas E, and Atwater I. Oxotremorine-m potentiation of glucose-induced insulin release from rat islets involves M3 muscarinic
receptors. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 268: E336 –E342, 1995.
59. Bose A, Cherniack AD, Langille SE, Nicoloro SM, Buxton JM,
Park JG, Chawla A, and Czech MP. G(alpha)11 signaling through
ARF6 regulates F-actin mobilization and GLUT4 glucose transporter translocation to the plasma membrane. Mol Cell Biol 21:
5262–5275, 2001.
60. Boston BA, Mandel S, LaFranchi S, and Bliziotes M. Activating
mutation in the stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding protein in
an infant with Cushing’s syndrome and nodular adrenal hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 79: 890 – 893, 1994.
61. Bourinet E, Soong TW, Stea A, and Snutch TP. Determinants of
the G protein-dependent opioid modulation of neuronal calcium
channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93: 1486 –1491, 1996.
1187
1188
81.
82.
83.
84.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
transmitters are agonists of a rat trace amine receptor. Mol Pharmacol 60: 1181–1188, 2001.
Burger LL, Haisenleder DJ, Dalkin AC, and Marshall JC.
Regulation of gonadotropin subunit gene transcription. J Mol Endocrinol 33: 559 –584, 2004.
Burton FH, Hasel KW, Bloom FE, and Sutcliffe JG. Pituitary
hyperplasia and gigantism in mice caused by a cholera toxin transgene. Nature 350: 74 –77, 1991.
Cabrera-Vera TM, Vanhauwe J, Thomas TO, Medkova M,
Preininger A, Mazzoni MR, and Hamm HE. Insights into G
protein structure, function, and regulation. Endocr Rev 24: 765–781,
2003.
Calvert PD, Krasnoperova NV, Lyubarsky AL, Isayama T,
Nicolo M, Kosaras B, Wong G, Gannon KS, Margolskee RF,
Sidman RL, Pugh EN Jr, Makino CL, and Lem J. Phototransduction in transgenic mice after targeted deletion of the rod transducin alpha-subunit. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97: 13913–13918,
2000.
Campbell R, Gosden CM, and Bonthron DT. Parental origin of
transcription from the human GNAS1 gene. J Med Genet 31: 607–
614, 1994.
Canalejo A, Canadillas S, Ballesteros E, Rodriguez M, and
Almaden Y. Importance of arachidonic acid as a mediator of
parathyroid gland response. Kidney Int Suppl: S10 –S13, 2003.
Carel JC, Le Stunff C, Condamine L, Mallet E, Chaussain JL,
Adnot P, Garabedian M, and Bougneres P. Resistance to the
lipolytic action of epinephrine: a new feature of protein Gs deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 84: 4127– 4131, 1999.
Carlson HE, Brickman AS, and Bottazzo GF. Prolactin deficiency in pseudohypoparathyroidism. N Engl J Med 296: 140 –144,
1977.
Catterall WA. Structure and regulation of voltage-gated Ca2⫹
channels. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 16: 521–555, 2000.
Caulfield MP. Muscarinic receptors— characterization, coupling
and function. Pharmacol Ther 58: 319 –379, 1993.
Chaffin KE, Beals CR, Wilkie TM, Forbush KA, Simon MI, and
Perlmutter RM. Dissection of thymocyte signaling pathways by in
vivo expression of pertussis toxin ADP-ribosyltransferase. EMBO J
9: 3821–3829, 1990.
Chaffin KE and Perlmutter RM. A pertussis toxin-sensitive process controls thymocyte emigration. Eur J Immunol 21: 2565–2573,
1991.
Chan AM, Fleming TP, McGovern ES, Chedid M, Miki T, and
Aaronson SA. Expression cDNA cloning of a transforming gene
encoding the wild-type G alpha 12 gene product. Mol Cell Biol 13:
762–768, 1993.
Chandrashekar J, Mueller KL, Hoon MA, Adler E, Feng L,
Guo W, Zuker CS, and Ryba NJ. T2Rs function as bitter taste
receptors. Cell 100: 703–711, 2000.
Chaudhari N, Landin AM, and Roper SD. A metabotropic glutamate receptor variant functions as a taste receptor. Nat Neurosci
3: 113–119, 2000.
Chaudhari N, Yang H, Lamp C, Delay E, Cartford C, Than T,
and Roper S. The taste of monosodium glutamate: membrane
receptors in taste buds. J Neurosci 16: 3817–3826, 1996.
Chen CA and Manning DR. Regulation of G proteins by covalent
modification. Oncogene 20: 1643–1652, 2001.
Chen CJ, Barnett JV, Congo DA, and Brown EM. Divalent
cations suppress 3⬘,5⬘-adenosine monophosphate accumulation by
stimulating a pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding
protein in cultured bovine parathyroid cells. Endocrinology 124:
233–239, 1989.
Chen CK, Burns ME, He W, Wensel TG, Baylor DA, and Simon
MI. Slowed recovery of rod photoresponse in mice lacking the
GTPase accelerating protein RGS9 –1. Nature 403: 557–560, 2000.
Chen CK, Eversole-Cire P, Zhang H, Mancino V, Chen YJ, He
W, Wensel TG, and Simon MI. Instability of GGL domain-containing RGS proteins in mice lacking the G protein beta-subunit
Gbeta5. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100: 6604 – 6609, 2003.
Chen F, Spicher K, Jiang M, Birnbaumer L, and Wetzel GT.
Lack of muscarinic regulation of Ca(2⫹) channels in G(i2)alpha
gene knockout mouse hearts. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 280:
H1989 –H1995, 2001.
Physiol Rev • VOL
102. Chen J and Iyengar R. Suppression of Ras-induced transformation of NIH 3T3 cells by activated G alpha s. Science 263: 1278 –
1281, 1994.
103. Chen JF, Guo JH, Moxham CM, Wang HY, and Malbon CC.
Conditional, tissue-specific expression of Q205L G alpha i2 in vivo
mimics insulin action. J Mol Med 75: 283–289, 1997.
104. Chen M, Haluzik M, Wolf NJ, Lorenzo J, Dietz KR, Reitman
ML, and Weinstein LS. Increased insulin sensitivity in paternal
Gnas knockout mice is associated with increased lipid clearance.
Endocrinology 145: 4094 – 4102, 2004.
105. Chiba Y and Misawa M. Increased expression of G12 and G13
proteins in bronchial smooth muscle of airway hyperresponsive
rats. Inflamm Res 50: 333–336, 2001.
106. Chiba Y, Sakai H, Arimoto T, Takada Y, Yoshikawa T, and
Misawa M. Gq protein level increases concurrently with antigeninduced airway hyperresponsiveness in rats. Respir Physiol 121:
75– 83, 2000.
107. Chiba Y, Sakai H, and Misawa M. Possible involvement of G(i3)
protein in augmented contraction of bronchial smooth muscle from
antigen-induced airway hyperresponsive rats. Biochem Pharmacol
61: 921–924, 2001.
108. Chiba Y, Takada Y, Miyamoto S, MitsuiSaito M, Karaki H, and
Misawa M. Augmented acetylcholine-induced, Rho-mediated Ca2⫹
sensitization of bronchial smooth muscle contraction in antigeninduced airway hyperresponsive rats. Br J Pharmacol 127: 597–
600, 1999.
109. Chien KR, Knowlton KU, Zhu H, and Chien S. Regulation of
cardiac gene expression during myocardial growth and hypertrophy: molecular studies of an adaptive physiologic response. FASEB
J 5: 3037–3046, 1991.
110. Chun J, Goetzl EJ, Hla T, Igarashi Y, Lynch KR, Moolenaar W,
Pyne S, and Tigyi G. International Union of Pharmacology.
XXXIV. Lysophospholipid receptor nomenclature. Pharmacol Rev
54: 265–269, 2002.
111. Ciaraldi TP and Maisel A. Role of guanine nucleotide regulatory
proteins in insulin stimulation of glucose transport in rat adipocytes. Influence of bacterial toxins. Biochem J 264: 389 –396, 1989.
112. Clapham DE and Neer EJ. G protein beta gamma subunits. Annu
Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 37: 167–203, 1997.
113. Clapham DE and Neer EJ. New roles for G protein beta gammadimers in transmembrane signalling. Nature 365: 403– 406, 1993.
114. Clouthier DE, Hosoda K, Richardson JA, Williams SC, Yanagisawa H, Kuwaki T, Kumada M, Hammer RE, and Yanagisawa
M. Cranial and cardiac neural crest defects in endothelin-A receptor-deficient mice. Development 125: 813– 824, 1998.
115. Collins MT, Sarlis NJ, Merino MJ, Monroe J, Crawford SE,
Krakoff JA, Guthrie LC, Bonat S, Robey PG, and Shenker A.
Thyroid carcinoma in the McCune-Albright syndrome: contributory
role of activating Gs alpha mutations. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88:
4413– 4417, 2003.
116. Communal C, Singh K, Sawyer DB, and Colucci WS. Opposing
effects of beta(1)- and beta(2)-adrenergic receptors on cardiac
myocyte apoptosis : role of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein.
Circulation 100: 2210 –2212, 1999.
117. Conn PJ and Pin JP. Pharmacology and functions of metabotropic glutamate receptors. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 37: 205–
237, 1997.
118. Connolly AJ, Ishihara H, Kahn ML, Farese RV Jr, and Coughlin SR. Role of the thrombin receptor in development and evidence
for a second receptor. Nature 381: 516 –519, 1996.
119. Cook DL and Hales CN. Intracellular ATP directly blocks K⫹
channels in pancreatic B-cells. Nature 311: 271–273, 1984.
120. Corvol JC, Muriel MP, Valjent E, Feger J, Hanoun N, Girault
JA, Hirsch EC, and Herve D. Persistent increase in olfactory type
G protein alpha subunit levels may underlie D1 receptor functional
hypersensitivity in Parkinson disease. J Neurosci 24: 7007–7014,
2004.
121. Coughlin SR. Protease-activated receptors in the cardiovascular
system. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 67: 197–208, 2002.
122. Crespo P, Xu N, Simonds WF, and Gutkind JS. Ras-dependent
activation of MAP kinase pathway mediated by G protein beta
gamma subunits. Nature 369: 418 – 420, 1994.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
85.
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
144. Dinauer MC. Regulation of neutrophil function by Rac GTPases.
Curr Opin Hematol 10: 8 –15, 2003.
145. Dolphin AC. G protein modulation of voltage-gated calcium channels. Pharmacol Rev 55: 607– 627, 2003.
146. Donahue JK, Heldman AW, Fraser H, McDonald AD, Miller
JM, Rade JJ, Eschenhagen T, and Marban E. Focal modification of electrical conduction in the heart by viral gene transfer. Nat
Med 6: 1395–1398, 2000.
147. Dong Q, Brucker-Davis F, Weintraub BD, Smallridge RC, Carr
FE, Battey J, Spiegel AM, and Shenker A. Screening of candidate oncogenes in human thyrotroph tumors: absence of activating
mutations of the G alpha q, G alpha 11, G alpha s, or thyrotropinreleasing hormone receptor genes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 81:
1134 –1140, 1996.
148. Dorn GW II and Hahn HS. Genetic factors in cardiac hypertrophy. Ann NY Acad Sci 1015: 225–237, 2004.
149. Dorsam RT, Kim S, Jin J, and Kunapuli SP. Coordinated signaling through both G12/13 and G(i) pathways is sufficient to
activate GPIIb/IIIa in human platelets. J Biol Chem 277: 47588 –
47595, 2002.
150. Douglas SA, Dhanak D, and Johns DG. From “gills to pills”:
urotensin-II as a regulator of mammalian cardiorenal function.
Trends Pharmacol Sci 25: 76 – 85, 2004.
151. Dubocovich ML, Masana MI, and Benloucif S. Molecular pharmacology and function of melatonin receptor subtypes. Adv Exp
Med Biol 460: 181–190, 1999.
152. Dulac C and Torello AT. Molecular detection of pheromone
signals in mammals: from genes to behaviour. Nat Rev Neurosci 4:
551–562, 2003.
153. Dumont JE. The action of thyrotropin on thyroid metabolism.
Vitam Horm 29: 287– 412, 1971.
154. Dumont JE, Jauniaux JC, and Roger PP. The cyclic AMPmediated stimulation of cell proliferation. Trends Biochem Sci 14:
67–71, 1989.
155. Dumont JE, Willems C, Van Sande J, and Neve P. Regulation of
the release of thyroid hormones: role of cyclic AMP. Ann NY Acad
Sci 185: 291–316, 1971.
156. Dutar P, Petrozzino JJ, Vu HM, Schmidt MF, and Perkel DJ.
Slow synaptic inhibition mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptor activation of GIRK channels. J Neurophysiol 84: 2284 –2290,
2000.
157. Duttaroy A, Zimliki CL, Gautam D, Cui Y, Mears D, and Wess
J. Muscarinic stimulation of pancreatic insulin and glucagon release is abolished in m3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-deficient mice. Diabetes 53: 1714 –1720, 2004.
158. Edery P, Attie T, Amiel J, Pelet A, Eng C, Hofstra RM, Martelli H, Bidaud C, Munnich A, and Lyonnet S. Mutation of the
endothelin-3 gene in the Waardenburg-Hirschsprung disease (ShahWaardenburg syndrome). Nat Genet 12: 442– 444, 1996.
159. Eguchi S, Matsumoto T, Motley ED, Utsunomiya H, and
Inagami T. Identification of an essential signaling cascade for
mitogen-activated protein kinase activation by angiotensin II in
cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Possible requirement of
Gq-mediated p21ras activation coupled to a Ca2⫹/calmodulin-sensitive tyrosine kinase. J Biol Chem 271: 14169 –14175, 1996.
160. Eiden LE. Signaling during exocytosis. In: Handbook of Cell Signalling, edited by Bradshaw RA. New York: Elsevier Science, 2003,
p. 375–392.
161. Emami S, Regnauld K, Ferrand N, Astesano A, Pessah M,
Phan H, Boissard C, Garel JM, and Rosselin G. Stimulatory
transducing systems in pancreatic islet cells. Ann NY Acad Sci 865:
118 –131, 1998.
162. Engelhardt S, Hein L, Wiesmann F, and Lohse MJ. Progressive
hypertrophy and heart failure in beta1-adrenergic receptor transgenic mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96: 7059 –7064, 1999.
163. Enserink JM, Christensen AE, de Rooij J, van Triest M,
Schwede F, Genieser HG, Doskeland SO, Blank JL, and Bos
JL. A novel Epac-specific cAMP analogue demonstrates independent regulation of Rap1 and ERK. Nat Cell Biol 4: 901–906, 2002.
164. Erhardt P, Troppmair J, Rapp UR, and Cooper GM. Differential
regulation of Raf-1 and B-Raf and Ras-dependent activation of
mitogen-activated protein kinase by cyclic AMP in PC12 cells. Mol
Cell Biol 15: 5524 –5530, 1995.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
123. Cyster JG. Chemokines, sphingosine-1-phosphate, and cell migration in secondary lymphoid organs. Annu Rev Immunol 23: 127–
159, 2005.
124. Cyster JG and Goodnow CC. Pertussis toxin inhibits migration
of B and T lymphocytes into splenic white pulp cords. J Exp Med
182: 581–586, 1995.
125. Daaka Y, Luttrell LM, and Lefkowitz RJ. Switching of the
coupling of the beta2-adrenergic receptor to different G proteins by
protein kinase A. Nature 390: 88 –91, 1997.
126. Damak S. G proteins mediating taste transduction. In: Handbook
of Cell Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA and Dennis EA. Boston,
MA: Academic, 2004, p. 657– 661.
127. Damak S, Rong M, Yasumatsu K, Kokrashvili Z, Varadarajan
V, Zou S, Jiang P, Ninomiya Y, and Margolskee RF. Detection
of sweet and umami taste in the absence of taste receptor T1r3.
Science 301: 850 – 853, 2003.
128. D’Angelo DD, Sakata Y, Lorenz JN, Boivin GP, Walsh RA,
Liggett SB, and Dorn GW II. Transgenic Galphaq overexpression
induces cardiac contractile failure in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA
94: 8121– 8126, 1997.
129. Daniel JL, Dangelmaier C, Jin J, Kim YB, and Kunapuli SP.
Role of intracellular signaling events in ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Thromb Haemost 82: 1322–1326, 1999.
130. Dannies PS, Gautvik KM, and Tashjian AH Jr. A possible role
of cyclic AMP in mediating the effects of thyrotropin-releasing
hormone on prolactin release and on prolactin and growth hormone synthesis in pituitary cells in culture. Endocrinology 98:
1147–1159, 1976.
131. Davenport AP. International Union of Pharmacology. XXIX. Update on endothelin receptor nomenclature. Pharmacol Rev 54:
219 –226, 2002.
132. Davignon I, Catalina MD, Smith D, Montgomery J, Swantek J,
Croy J, Siegelman M, and Wilkie TM. Normal hematopoiesis
and inflammatory responses despite discrete signaling defects in
Galpha15 knockout mice. Mol Cell Biol 20: 797– 804, 2000.
133. Daykin K, Widdop S, and Hall IP. Control of histamine induced
inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in cultured human tracheal
smooth muscle cells. Eur J Pharmacol 246: 135–140, 1993.
134. De Gasparo M, Catt KJ, Inagami T, Wright JW, and Unger T.
International Union of Pharmacology. XXIII. The angiotensin II
receptors. Pharmacol Rev 52: 415– 472, 2000.
135. Delgado M and Ganea D. Vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide inhibit interleukin-12
transcription by regulating nuclear factor kappaB and Ets activation. J Biol Chem 274: 31930 –31940, 1999.
136. De Petrocellis L, Cascio MG, and Di Marzo V. The endocannabinoid system: a general view and latest additions. Br J Pharmacol 141: 765–774, 2004.
137. De Roux N, Genin E, Carel JC, Matsuda F, Chaussain JL, and
Milgrom E. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to loss of function of the KiSS1-derived peptide receptor GPR54. Proc Natl Acad
Sci USA 100: 10972–10976, 2003.
138. De Sanctis C, Lala R, Matarazzo P, Andreo M, and de Sanctis
L. Pubertal development in patients with McCune-Albright syndrome or pseudohypoparathyroidism. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab
16 Suppl 2: 293–296, 2003.
139. Dhanasekaran N and Dermott JM. Signaling by the G12 class of
G proteins. Cell Signal 8: 235–245, 1996.
140. Dhanasekaran N, Tsim ST, Dermott JM, and Onesime D. Regulation of cell proliferation by G proteins. Oncogene 17: 1383–1394,
1998.
141. Dhingra A, Faurobert E, Dascal N, Sterling P, and Vardi N. A
retinal-specific regulator of G protein signaling interacts with Galphao and accelerates an expressed metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 cascade. J Neurosci 24: 5684 –5693, 2004.
142. Dhingra A, Jiang M, Wang TL, Lyubarsky A, Savchenko A,
Bar-Yehuda T, Sterling P, Birnbaumer L, and Vardi N. Light
response of retinal ON bipolar cells requires a specific splice
variant of Galpha(o). J Neurosci 22: 4878 – 4884, 2002.
143. Dhingra A, Lyubarsky A, Jiang M, Pugh EN Jr, Birnbaumer L,
Sterling P, and Vardi N. The light response of ON bipolar neurons
requires G␣o. J Neurosci 20: 9053–9058, 2000.
1189
1190
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
185. Fredriksson R, Lagerstrom MC, Lundin LG, and Schioth HB.
The G protein-coupled receptors in the human genome form five
main families. Phylogenetic analysis, paralogon groups, and fingerprints. Mol Pharmacol 63: 1256 –1272, 2003.
186. Freeman ME, Kanyicska B, Lerant A, and Nagy G. Prolactin:
structure, function, and regulation of secretion. Physiol Rev 80:
1523–1631, 2000.
187. Freissmuth M and Gilman AG. Mutations of GS alpha designed
to alter the reactivity of the protein with bacterial toxins. Substitutions at ARG187 result in loss of GTPase activity. J Biol Chem
264: 21907–21914, 1989.
188. Freson K, Jaeken J, Van Helvoirt M, de Zegher F, Wittevrongel C, Thys C, Hoylaerts MF, Vermylen J, and Van Geet C.
Functional polymorphisms in the paternally expressed XLalphas
and its cofactor ALEX decrease their mutual interaction and enhance receptor-mediated cAMP formation. Hum Mol Genet 12:
1121–1130, 2003.
189. Freund TF, Katona I, and Piomelli D. Role of endogenous
cannabinoids in synaptic signaling. Physiol Rev 83: 1017–1066,
2003.
190. Frey N, McKinsey TA, and Olson EN. Decoding calcium signals
involved in cardiac growth and function. Nat Med 6: 1221–1227,
2000.
191. Frey N and Olson EN. Cardiac hypertrophy: the good, the bad,
and the ugly. Annu Rev Physiol 65: 45–79, 2003.
192. Fritz G, Just I, and Kaina B. Rho GTPases are over-expressed in
human tumors. Int J Cancer 81: 682– 687, 1999.
193. Fromm C, Coso OA, Montaner S, Xu N, and Gutkind JS. The
small GTP-binding protein Rho links G protein-coupled receptors
and Galpha12 to the serum response element and to cellular transformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94: 10098 –10103, 1997.
194. Fukuhara S, Chikumi H, and Gutkind JS. RGS-containing RhoGEFs: the missing link between transforming G proteins and Rho?
Oncogene 20: 1661–1668, 2001.
195. Fukuhara S, Murga C, Zohar M, Igishi T, and Gutkind JS. A
novel PDZ domain containing guanine nucleotide exchange factor
links heterotrimeric G proteins to Rho. J Biol Chem 274: 5868 –
5879, 1999.
196. Funes S, Hedrick JA, Vassileva G, Markowitz L, Abbondanzo
S, Golovko A, Yang S, Monsma FJ, and Gustafson EL. The
KiSS-1 receptor GPR54 is essential for the development of the
murine reproductive system. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 312:
1357–1363, 2003.
197. Gachet C. ADP receptors of platelets and their inhibition. Thromb
Haemost 86: 222–232, 2001.
198. Galvin-Parton PA, Chen X, Moxham CM, and Malbon CC.
Induction of Galphaq-specific antisense RNA in vivo causes increased body mass and hyperadiposity. J Biol Chem 272: 4335–
4341, 1997.
199. Gambaro G, Anglani F, and D’Angelo A. Association studies of
genetic polymorphisms and complex disease. Lancet 355: 308 –311,
2000.
200. Gamper N, Reznikov V, Yamada Y, Yang J, and Shapiro MS.
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate signals underlie receptorspecific Gq/11-mediated modulation of N-type Ca2⫹ channels.
J Neurosci 24: 10980 –10992, 2004.
201. Ganea D. Regulatory effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide on
cytokine production in central and peripheral lymphoid organs.
Adv Neuroimmunol 6: 61–74, 1996.
202. Garcia DE, Li B, Garcia-Ferreiro RE, Hernandez-Ochoa EO,
Yan K, Gautam N, Catterall WA, Mackie K, and Hille B. G
protein beta-subunit specificity in the fast membrane-delimited
inhibition of Ca2⫹ channels. J Neurosci 18: 9163–9170, 1998.
203. Gardella TJ and Juppner H. Molecular properties of the PTH/
PTHrP receptor. Trends Endocrinol Metab 12: 210 –217, 2001.
204. Gariepy CE. Intestinal motility disorders and development of the
enteric nervous system. Pediatr Res 49: 605– 613, 2001.
205. Gavett SH and Wills-Karp M. Elevated lung G protein levels and
muscarinic receptor affinity in a mouse model of airway hyperreactivity. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 265: L493–L500, 1993.
206. Gaylinn BD. Growth hormone releasing hormone receptor. Receptors Channels 8: 155–162, 2002.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
165. Esapa C, Foster S, Johnson S, Jameson JL, Kendall-Taylor P,
and Harris PE. G protein and thyrotropin receptor mutations in
thyroid neoplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 82: 493– 496, 1997.
166. Esposito G, Rapacciuolo A, Naga Prasad SV, Takaoka H,
Thomas SA, Koch WJ, and Rockman HA. Genetic alterations
that inhibit in vivo pressure-overload hypertrophy prevent cardiac
dysfunction despite increased wall stress. Circulation 105: 85–92,
2002.
167. Exton JH. Mechanisms involved in alpha-adrenergic effects of
catecholamines on liver metabolism. J Cyclic Nucleotide Res 5:
277–287, 1979.
168. Exton JH. Mechanisms of hormonal regulation of hepatic glucose
metabolism. Diabetes Metab Rev 3: 163–183, 1987.
169. Exton JH. Regulation of phosphoinositide phospholipases by hormones, neurotransmitters, and other agonists linked to G proteins.
Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 36: 481–509, 1996.
170. Fabre JE, Nguyen M, Latour A, Keifer JA, Audoly LP, Coffman TM, and Koller BH. Decreased platelet aggregation, increased bleeding time and resistance to thromboembolism in P2Y1deficient mice. Nat Med 5: 1199 –1202, 1999.
171. Farfel Z and Bourne HR. Pseudohypoparathyroidism: mutation
affecting adenylate cyclase. Miner Electrolyte Metab 8: 227–236,
1982.
172. Farfel Z, Bourne HR, and Iiri T. The expanding spectrum of G
protein diseases. N Engl J Med 340: 1012–1020, 1999.
173. Feighner SD, Tan CP, McKee KK, Palyha OC, Hreniuk DL,
Pong SS, Austin CP, Figueroa D, MacNeil D, Cascieri MA,
Nargund R, Bakshi R, Abramovitz M, Stocco R, Kargman S,
O’Neill G, Van Der Ploeg LH, Evans J, Patchett AA, Smith RG,
and Howard AD. Receptor for motilin identified in the human
gastrointestinal system. Science 284: 2184 –2188, 1999.
174. Feldman AM, Cates AE, Bristow MR, and Van Dop C. Altered
expression of alpha-subunits of G proteins in failing human hearts.
J Mol Cell Cardiol 21: 359 –365, 1989.
175. Feuillan PP, Shawker T, Rose SR, Jones J, Jeevanram RK,
and Nisula BC. Thyroid abnormalities in the McCune-Albright
syndrome: ultrasonography and hormonal studies. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 71: 1596 –1601, 1990.
176. Fields TA and Casey PJ. Signalling functions and biochemical
properties of pertussis toxin-resistant G proteins. Biochem J 321:
561–571, 1997.
177. Filipek S, Stenkamp RE, Teller DC, and Palczewski K. G
protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin: a prospectus. Annu Rev
Physiol 65: 851– 879, 2003.
178. Finch EA and Augustine GJ. Local calcium signalling by inositol1,4,5-trisphosphate in Purkinje cell dendrites. Nature 396: 753–756,
1998.
179. Finn SG, Plonk SG, and Fuller SJ. G alpha 13 stimulates gene
expression and increases cell size in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Cardiovasc Res 42: 140 –148, 1999.
180. Foerster K, Groner F, Matthes J, Koch WJ, Birnbaumer L,
and Herzig S. Cardioprotection specific for the G protein Gi2 in
chronic adrenergic signaling through beta 2-adrenoceptors. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA 100: 14475–14480, 2003.
181. Foster CJ, Prosser DM, Agans JM, Zhai Y, Smith MD, Lachowicz JE, Zhang FL, Gustafson E, Monsma FJ Jr, Wiekowski MT,
Abbondanzo SJ, Cook DN, Bayne ML, Lira SA, and Chintala
MS. Molecular identification and characterization of the platelet
ADP receptor targeted by thienopyridine antithrombotic drugs.
J Clin Invest 107: 1591–1598, 2001.
182. Fragoso MC, Domenice S, Latronico AC, Martin RM, Pereira
MA, Zerbini MC, Lucon AM, and Mendonca BB. Cushing’s
syndrome secondary to adrenocorticotropin-independent macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia due to activating mutations of
GNAS1 gene. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 2147–2151, 2003.
183. Fredholm BB, Abbracchio MP, Burnstock G, Dubyak GR,
Harden TK, Jacobson KA, Schwabe U, and Williams M. Towards a revised nomenclature for P1 and P2 receptors. Trends
Pharmacol Sci 18: 79 – 82, 1997.
184. Fredholm BB, APIJ, Jacobson KA, Klotz KN, and Linden J.
International Union of Pharmacology. XXV. Nomenclature and
classification of adenosine receptors. Pharmacol Rev 53: 527–552,
2001.
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
228. Gu JL, Muller S, Mancino V, Offermanns S, and Simon MI.
Interaction of G alpha(12) with G alpha(13) and G alpha(q) signaling pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99: 9352–9357, 2002.
229. Gudermann T, Grosse R, and Schultz G. Contribution of receptor/G protein signaling to cell growth and transformation. NaunynSchmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 361: 345–362, 2000.
230. Gutkind JS. Cell growth control by G protein-coupled receptors:
from signal transduction to signal integration. Oncogene 17: 1331–
1342, 1998.
231. Gutkind JS, Novotny EA, Brann MR, and Robbins KC. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes as agonist-dependent oncogenes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88: 4703– 4707, 1991.
232. Hall RA, Premont RT, Chow CW, Blitzer JT, Pitcher JA,
Claing A, Stoffel RH, Barak LS, Shenolikar S, Weinman EJ,
Grinstein S, and Lefkowitz RJ. The beta2-adrenergic receptor
interacts with the Na⫹/H⫹-exchanger regulatory factor to control
Na⫹/H⫹ exchange. Nature 392: 626 – 630, 1998.
233. Hamm HE. The many faces of G protein signaling. J Biol Chem
273: 669 – 672, 1998.
234. Hampoelz B and Knoblich JA. Heterotrimeric G proteins: new
tricks for an old dog. Cell 119: 453– 456, 2004.
235. Harris IS, Treskov I, Rowley MW, Heximer S, Kaltenbronn K,
Finck BN, Gross RW, Kelly DP, Blumer KJ, and Muslin AJ. G
protein signaling participates in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes 53: 3082–3090, 2004.
236. Hart MJ, Jiang X, Kozasa T, Roscoe W, Singer WD, Gilman
AG, Sternweis PC, and Bollag G. Direct stimulation of the guanine nucleotide exchange activity of p115 RhoGEF by Galpha13.
Science 280: 2112–2114, 1998.
237. Hartmann J, Blum R, Kovalchuk Y, Adelsberger H, Kuner R,
Durand GM, Miyata M, Kano M, Offermanns S, and Konnerth
A. Distinct roles of Galpha(q) and Galpha11 for Purkinje cell
signaling and motor behavior. J Neurosci 24: 5119 –5130, 2004.
238. Hata AN and Breyer RM. Pharmacology and signaling of prostaglandin receptors: multiple roles in inflammation and immune modulation. Pharmacol Ther 103: 147–166, 2004.
239. Hauger RL, Grigoriadis DE, Dallman MF, Plotsky PM, Vale
WW, and Dautzenberg FM. International Union of Pharmacology.
XXXVI. Current status of the nomenclature for receptors for corticotropin-releasing factor and their ligands. Pharmacol Rev 55:
21–26, 2003.
240. Hawkins D, Enyedi P, and Brown E. The effects of high extracellular Ca2⫹ and Mg2⫹ concentrations on the levels of inositol
1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in bovine parathyroid cells. Endocrinology 124: 838 – 844, 1989.
241. Hay DW, Luttmann MA, Muccitelli RM, and Goldie RG. Endothelin receptors and calcium translocation pathways in human
airways. Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 359: 404 – 410,
1999.
242. Hayward BE, Barlier A, Korbonits M, Grossman AB, Jacquet
P, Enjalbert A, and Bonthron DT. Imprinting of the G(s)alpha
gene GNAS1 in the pathogenesis of acromegaly. J Clin Invest 107:
R31–R36, 2001.
243. Hayward BE and Bonthron DT. An imprinted antisense transcript at the human GNAS1 locus. Hum Mol Genet 9: 835– 841, 2000.
244. Hayward BE, Kamiya M, Strain L, Moran V, Campbell R,
Hayashizaki Y, and Bonthron DT. The human GNAS1 gene is
imprinted and encodes distinct paternally and biallelically expressed G proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95: 10038 –10043, 1998.
245. Hayward BE, Moran V, Strain L, and Bonthron DT. Bidirectional imprinting of a single gene: GNAS1 encodes maternally,
paternally, and biallelically derived proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci
USA 95: 15475–15480, 1998.
246. He J, Gurunathan S, Iwasaki A, Ash-Shaheed B, and Kelsall
BL. Primary role for Gi protein signaling in the regulation of
interleukin 12 production and the induction of T helper cell type 1
responses. J Exp Med 191: 1605–1610, 2000.
247. He W, Danilova V, Zou S, Hellekant G, Max M, Margolskee RF,
and Damak S. Partial rescue of taste responses of alpha-gustducin
null mice by transgenic expression of alpha-transducin. Chem
Senses 27: 719 –727, 2002.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
207. Gehrmann J, Meister M, Maguire CT, Martins DC, Hammer
PE, Neer EJ, Berul CI, and Mende U. Impaired parasympathetic
heart rate control in mice with a reduction of functional G protein
betagamma-subunits. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 282: H445–
H456, 2002.
208. Gerard NP and Gerard C. Complement in allergy and asthma.
Curr Opin Immunol 14: 705–708, 2002.
209. Germain-Lee EL, Ding CL, Deng Z, Crane JL, Saji M, Ringel
MD, and Levine MA. Paternal imprinting of Galpha(s) in the
human thyroid as the basis of TSH resistance in pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 296: 67–72,
2002.
210. Germain-Lee EL, Groman J, Crane JL, Jan de Beur SM, and
Levine MA. Growth hormone deficiency in pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a: another manifestation of multihormone resistance.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 4059 – 4069, 2003.
211. Gershengorn MC and Osman R. Molecular and cellular biology
of thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors. Physiol Rev 76: 175–
191, 1996.
212. Gether U. Uncovering molecular mechanisms involved in activation of G protein-coupled receptors. Endocr Rev 21: 90 –113, 2000.
213. Gether U, Asmar F, Meinild AK, and Rasmussen SG. Structural
basis for activation of G protein-coupled receptors. Pharmacol
Toxicol 91: 304 –312, 2002.
214. Girkontaite I, Missy K, Sakk V, Harenberg A, Tedford K,
Potzel T, Pfeffer K, and Fischer KD. Lsc is required for marginal
zone B cells, regulation of lymphocyte motility and immune responses. Nat Immunol 2: 855– 862, 2001.
215. Gohla A, Schultz G, and Offermanns S. Role for G(12)/G(13) in
agonist-induced vascular smooth muscle cell contraction. Circ Res
87: 221–227, 2000.
216. Goldie RG, Henry PJ, Knott PG, Self GJ, Luttmann MA, and
Hay DW. Endothelin-1 receptor density, distribution, and function
in human isolated asthmatic airways. Am J Respir Crit Care Med
152: 1653–1658, 1995.
217. Goldman DW, Chang FH, Gifford LA, Goetzl EJ, and Bourne
HR. Pertussis toxin inhibition of chemotactic factor-induced calcium mobilization and function in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. J Exp Med 162: 145–156, 1985.
218. Goodman WG. Calcium-sensing receptors. Semin Nephrol 24: 17–
24, 2004.
219. Goren HJ, Northup JK, and Hollenberg MD. Action of insulin
modulated by pertussis toxin in rat adipocytes. Can J Physiol
Pharmacol 63: 1017–1022, 1985.
220. Gottsch ML, Cunningham MJ, Smith JT, Popa SM, Acohido
BV, Crowley WF, Seminara S, Clifton DK, and Steiner RA. A
role for kisspeptins in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion in
the mouse. Endocrinology 145: 4073– 4077, 2004.
221. Graler MH and Goetzl EJ. Lysophospholipids and their G protein-coupled receptors in inflammation and immunity. Biochim
Biophys Acta 1582: 168 –174, 2002.
222. Grandordy BM and Barnes PJ. Airway smooth muscle and disease workshop: phosphoinositide turnover. Am Rev Respir Dis
136: S17–S20, 1987.
223. Graziano MP and Gilman AG. Synthesis in Escherichia coli of
GTPase-deficient mutants of Gs alpha. J Biol Chem 264: 15475–
15482, 1989.
224. Gregersen S, Thomsen JL, and Hermansen K. Endothelin-1
(ET-1)-potentiated insulin secretion: involvement of protein kinase
C and the ET(A) receptor subtype. Metabolism 49: 264 –269, 2000.
225. Greif GJ, Sodickson DL, Bean BP, Neer EJ, and Mende U.
Altered regulation of potassium and calcium channels by GABA(B)
and adenosine receptors in hippocampal neurons from mice lacking Galpha(o). J Neurophysiol 83: 1010 –1018, 2000.
226. Griffin CT, Srinivasan Y, Zheng YW, Huang W, and Coughlin
SR. A role for thrombin receptor signaling in endothelial cells
during embryonic development. Science 293: 1666 –1670, 2001.
227. Gross V, Tank J, Obst M, Plehm R, Blumer KJ, Diedrich A,
Jordan J, and Luft FC. Autonomic nervous system and blood
pressure regulation in RGS2-deficient mice. Am J Physiol Regul
Integr Comp Physiol 288: R1134 –R1142, 2005.
1191
1192
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
269. Hofmann F. Smooth muscle tone regulation. In: Encyclopedic
Reference of Molecular Pharmacology, edited by Offermanns S and
Rosenthal W. Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2004, p. 870 – 875.
270. Hofstetter HH, Shive CL, and Forsthuber TG. Pertussis toxin
modulates the immune response to neuroantigens injected in incomplete Freund’s adjuvant: induction of Th1 cells and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in the presence of high frequencies of Th2 cells. J Immunol 169: 117–125, 2002.
271. Hollenberg MD and Compton SJ. International Union of Pharmacology. XXVIII. Proteinase-activated receptors. Pharmacol Rev
54: 203–217, 2002.
272. Hollinger S and Hepler JR. Cellular regulation of RGS proteins:
modulators and integrators of G protein signaling. Pharmacol Rev
54: 527–559, 2002.
273. Hollopeter G, Jantzen HM, Vincent D, Li G, England L, Ramakrishnan V, Yang RB, Nurden P, Nurden A, Julius D, and
Conley PB. Identification of the platelet ADP receptor targeted by
antithrombotic drugs. Nature 409: 202–207, 2001.
274. Holm C, Langin D, Manganiello V, Belfrage P, and Degerman
E. Regulation of hormone-sensitive lipase activity in adipose tissue.
Methods Enzymol 286: 45– 67, 1997.
275. Holz GG, Leech CA and Habener JF. Activation of a cAMPregulated Ca(2⫹)-signaling pathway in pancreatic beta-cells by the
insulinotropic hormone glucagon-like peptide-1. J Biol Chem 270:
17749 –17757, 1995.
276. Hooley R, Yu CY, Symons M, and Barber DL. G alpha 13
stimulates Na⫹-H⫹ exchange through distinct Cdc42-dependent
and RhoA-dependent pathways. J Biol Chem 271: 6152– 6158, 1996.
277. Hornquist CE, Lu X, Rogers-Fani PM, Rudolph U, Shappell S,
Birnbaumer L, and Harriman GR. G(alpha)i2-deficient mice with
colitis exhibit a local increase in memory CD4⫹ T cells and proinflammatory Th1-type cytokines. J Immunol 158: 1068 –1077, 1997.
278. Hoshijima M, Sah VP, Wang Y, Chien KR, and Brown JH. The
low molecular weight GTPase Rho regulates myofibril formation
and organization in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Involvement
of Rho kinase. J Biol Chem 273: 7725–7730, 1998.
279. Hou W, Wu Y, Sun S, Shi M, Sun Y, Yang C, Pei G, Gu Y, Zhong
C, and Sun B. Pertussis toxin enhances Th1 responses by stimulation of dendritic cells. J Immunol 170: 1728 –1736, 2003.
280. Howlett AC, Barth F, Bonner TI, Cabral G, Casellas P, Devane WA, Felder CC, Herkenham M, Mackie K, Martin BR,
Mechoulam R, and Pertwee RG. International Union of Pharmacology. XXVII. Classification of cannabinoid receptors. Pharmacol
Rev 54: 161–202, 2002.
281. Hoyer D, Clarke DE, Fozard JR, Hartig PR, Martin GR, Mylecharane EJ, Saxena PR, and Humphrey PP. International Union
of Pharmacology classification of receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). Pharmacol Rev 46: 157–203, 1994.
282. Huang MC, Graeler M, Shankar G, Spencer J, and Goetzl EJ.
Lysophospholipid mediators of immunity and neoplasia. Biochim
Biophys Acta 1582: 161–167, 2002.
283. Huang X, Ju Z, Song Y, Zhang H, Sun K, Lu H, Yang Z, Jose PA,
Zhou G, Wang M, Wang W, Feng S, and Hui R. Lack of association between the G protein beta3 subunit gene and essential
hypertension in Chinese: a case-control and a family-based study. J
Mol Med 81: 729 –735, 2003.
284. Huang XP, Song X, Wang HY, and Malbon CC. Targeted expression of activated Q227L G(alpha)(s) in vivo. Am J Physiol Cell
Physiol 283: C386 –C395, 2002.
285. Hunter JJ and Chien KR. Signaling pathways for cardiac hypertrophy and failure. N Engl J Med 341: 1276 –1283, 1999.
286. Hwang JI, Fraser ID, Choi S, Qin XF, and Simon MI. Analysis
of C5a-mediated chemotaxis by lentiviral delivery of small interfering RNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101: 488 – 493, 2004.
287. Iiri T, Herzmark P, Nakamoto JM, van Dop C, and Bourne HR.
Rapid GDP release from Gs alpha in patients with gain and loss of
endocrine function. Nature 371: 164 –168, 1994.
288. Ikeda SR. Voltage-dependent modulation of N-type calcium channels by G protein beta gamma subunits. Nature 380: 255–258, 1996.
289. Imamura T, Ishibashi K, Dalle S, Ugi S, and Olefsky JM.
Endothelin-1-induced GLUT4 translocation is mediated via Galpha(q/11) protein and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. J Biol Chem 274: 33691–33695, 1999.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
248. He W, Miao FJ, Lin DC, Schwandner RT, Wang Z, Gao J, Chen
JL, Tian H, and Ling L. Citric acid cycle intermediates as ligands
for orphan G protein-coupled receptors. Nature 429: 188 –193, 2004.
249. He W, Yasumatsu K, Varadarajan V, Yamada A, Lem J, Ninomiya Y, Margolskee RF, and Damak S. Umami taste responses are mediated by alpha-transducin and alpha-gustducin.
J Neurosci 24: 7674 –7680, 2004.
250. Heasley LE. Autocrine and paracrine signaling through neuropeptide receptors in human cancer. Oncogene 20: 1563–1569, 2001.
251. Hechler B, Leon C, Vial C, Vigne P, Frelin C, Cazenave JP, and
Gachet C. The P2Y1 receptor is necessary for adenosine 5’-diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation. Blood 92: 152–159, 1998.
252. Hein L. Alpha-adrenergic system. In: Encyclopedic Reference of
Molecular Pharmacology, edited by Offermanns S and Rosenthal
W. Berlin: Springer, 2004, p. 27–30.
253. Hendry IA, Kelleher KL, Bartlett SE, Leck KJ, Reynolds AJ,
Heydon K, Mellick A, Megirian D, and Matthaei KI. Hypertolerance to morphine in G(z alpha)-deficient mice. Brain Res 870:
10 –19, 2000.
254. Henquin JC, Garcia MC, Bozem M, Hermans MP, and Nenquin
M. Muscarinic control of pancreatic B cell function involves sodium-dependent depolarization and calcium influx. Endocrinology
122: 2134 –2142, 1988.
255. Hepler JR and Gilman AG. G proteins. Trends Biochem Sci 17:
383–387, 1992.
256. Hermosilla R. Vasopressin/oxytocin. In: Encyclopedic Reference
of Molecular Pharmacology, edited by Offermanns S and Rosenthal
W. Berlin: Springer, 2004, p. 957–961.
257. Hersch E, Huang J, Grider JR, and Murthy KS. Gq/G13 signaling by ET-1 in smooth muscle: MYPT1 phosphorylation via ETA
and CPI-17 dephosphorylation via ETB. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol
287: C1209 –C1218, 2004.
258. Herve D, Le Moine C, Corvol JC, Belluscio L, Ledent C,
Fienberg AA, Jaber M, Studler JM, and Girault JA. Galpha(olf) levels are regulated by receptor usage and control dopamine
and adenosine action in the striatum. J Neurosci 21: 4390 – 4399,
2001.
259. Heubach JF, Graf EM, Molenaar P, Jager A, Schroder F,
Herzig S, Harding SE, and Ravens U. Murine ventricular L-type
Ca(2⫹) current is enhanced by zinterol via beta(1)-adrenoceptors,
and is reduced in TG4 mice overexpressing the human beta(2)adrenoceptor. Br J Pharmacol 133: 73– 82, 2001.
260. Heubach JF, Trebess I, Wettwer E, Himmel HM, Michel MC,
Kaumann AJ, Koch WJ, Harding SE, and Ravens U. L-type
calcium current and contractility in ventricular myocytes from
mice overexpressing the cardiac beta 2-adrenoceptor. Cardiovasc
Res 42: 173–182, 1999.
261. Heximer SP, Knutsen RH, Sun X, Kaltenbronn KM, Rhee MH,
Peng N, Oliveira-dos-Santos A, Penninger JM, Muslin AJ,
Steinberg TH, Wyss JM, Mecham RP, and Blumer KJ. Hypertension and prolonged vasoconstrictor signaling in RGS2-deficient
mice. J Clin Invest 111: 1259, 2003.
262. Hill SJ and Baker JG. Histaminergic system. In: Encyclopedic
Reference of Molecular Pharmacology, edited by Offermanns S and
Rosenthal W. Berlin: Springer, 2004, p. 456 – 460.
263. Hillhouse EW, Randeva H, Ladds G, and Grammatopoulos D.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors. Biochem Soc Trans 30:
428 – 432, 2002.
264. Hines WA and Thorburn A. Ras and rho are required for Galphaqinduced hypertrophic gene expression in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol 30: 485– 494, 1998.
265. Hirasawa A, Tsumaya K, Awaji T, Katsuma S, Adachi T,
Yamada M, Sugimoto Y, Miyazaki S, and Tsujimoto G. Free
fatty acids regulate gut incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion
through GPR120. Nat Med 11: 90 –94, 2005.
266. Hirsch E, Katanaev VL, Garlanda C, Azzolino O, Pirola L,
Silengo L, Sozzani S, Mantovani A, Altruda F, and Wymann
MP. Central role for G protein-coupled phosphoinositide 3-kinase
gamma in inflammation. Science 287: 1049 –1053, 2000.
267. Ho MK and Wong YH. Structure and function of the pertussistoxin-insensitive Gz protein. Biol Signals Recept 7: 80 – 89, 1998.
268. Hofer AM and Brown EM. Extracellular calcium sensing and
signalling. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 4: 530 –538, 2003.
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
310. Jin J and Kunapuli SP. Coactivation of two different G proteincoupled receptors is essential for ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95: 8070 – 8074, 1998.
311. Johansen PW, Paulssen RH, Bjoro T, Gautvik KM, and
Gordeladze JO. Distinct guanine nucleotide binding protein alpha-subunit receptor coupling in GH cell lines: effects of bromocriptine and hormones on effector enzyme modulation. Cell
Physiol Biochem 11: 339 –352, 2001.
312. Johnson EN and Druey KM. Heterotrimeric G protein signaling:
role in asthma and allergic inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol
109: 592– 602, 2002.
313. Johnson GJ, Leis LA, and Dunlop PC. Specificity of G alpha q
and G alpha 11 gene expression in platelets and erythrocytes.
Expressions of cellular differentiation and species differences. Biochem J 318: 1023–1031, 1996.
314. Jonsson EW. Functional characterisation of receptors for cysteinyl leukotrienes in smooth muscle. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl 641:
1–55, 1998.
315. Julius D, Livelli TJ, Jessell TM, and Axel R. Ectopic expression
of the serotonin 1c receptor and the triggering of malignant transformation. Science 244: 1057–1062, 1989.
316. Kabarowski JH, Feramisco JD, Le LQ, Gu JL, Luoh SW, Simon
MI, and Witte ON. Direct genetic demonstration of G alpha 13
coupling to the orphan G protein-coupled receptor G2A leading to
RhoA-dependent actin rearrangement. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:
12109 –12114, 2000.
317. Kabashima K, Murata T, Tanaka H, Matsuoka T, Sakata D,
Yoshida N, Katagiri K, Kinashi T, Tanaka T, Miyasaka M,
Nagai H, Ushikubi F, and Narumiya S. Thromboxane A2 modulates interaction of dendritic cells and T cells and regulates acquired immunity. Nat Immunol 4: 694 –701, 2003.
318. Kalinec G, Nazarali AJ, Hermouet S, Xu N, and Gutkind JS.
Mutated alpha subunit of the Gq protein induces malignant transformation in NIH 3T3 cells. Mol Cell Biol 12: 4687– 4693, 1992.
319. Kalkbrenner F, Degtiar VE, Schenker M, Brendel S, Zobel A,
Heschler J, Wittig B, and Schultz G. Subunit composition of
G(o) proteins functionally coupling galanin receptors to voltagegated calcium channels. EMBO J 14: 4728 – 4737, 1995.
320. Kamai T, Arai K, Tsujii T, Honda M, and Yoshida K. Overexpression of RhoA mRNA is associated with advanced stage in
testicular germ cell tumour. BJU Int 87: 227–231, 2001.
321. Kammer GM. The adenylate cyclase-cAMP-protein kinase A pathway and regulation of the immune response. Immunol Today 9:
222–229, 1988.
322. Kammermeier PJ, Ruiz-Velasco V, and Ikeda SR. A voltageindependent calcium current inhibitory pathway activated by muscarinic agonists in rat sympathetic neurons requires both Galpha
q/11 and Gbeta gamma. J Neurosci 20: 5623–5629, 2000.
323. Kano M, Hashimoto K, Kurihara H, Watanabe M, Inoue Y,
Aiba A, and Tonegawa S. Persistent multiple climbing fiber innervation of cerebellar Purkinje cells in mice lacking mGluR1.
Neuron 18: 71–79, 1997.
324. Kano M, Hashimoto K, Watanabe M, Kurihara H, Offermanns
S, Jiang H, Wu Y, Jun K, Shin HS, Inoue Y, Simon MI, and Wu
D. Phospholipase Cbeta4 is specifically involved in climbing fiber
synapse elimination in the developing cerebellum. Proc Natl Acad
Sci USA 95: 15724 –15729, 1998.
325. Kanoh Y, Ishizuka T, Morita H, Ishizawa M, Miura A, Kajita K,
Kimura M, Suzuki T, Sakuma H, and Yasuda K. Effect of
pertussis toxin on insulin-induced signal transduction in rat adipocytes and soleus muscles. Cell Signal 12: 223–232, 2000.
326. Kanzaki M, Watson RT, Artemyev NO, and Pessin JE. The
trimeric GTP-binding protein [G(q)/G(11)] alpha subunit is required
for insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation in 3T3L1 adipocytes.
J Biol Chem 275: 7167–7175, 2000.
327. Kaplan DD, Meigs TE, and Casey PJ. Distinct regions of the
cadherin cytoplasmic domain are essential for functional interaction with Galpha 12 and beta-catenin. J Biol Chem 276: 44037–
44043, 2001.
328. Keahey HH, Boyd AE III, and Kunze DL. Catecholamine modulation of calcium currents in clonal pancreatic beta-cells. Am J
Physiol Cell Physiol 257: C1171–C1176, 1989.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
290. Imamura T, Vollenweider P, Egawa K, Clodi M, Ishibashi K,
Nakashima N, Ugi S, Adams JW, Brown JH, and Olefsky JM. G
alpha-q/11 protein plays a key role in insulin-induced glucose transport in 3T3–L1 adipocytes. Mol Cell Biol 19: 6765– 6774, 1999.
291. Ioannidis JP, Ntzani EE, Trikalinos TA, and ContopoulosIoannidis DG. Replication validity of genetic association studies.
Nat Genet 29: 306 –309, 2001.
292. Ishibashi KI, Imamura T, Sharma PM, Huang J, Ugi S, and
Olefsky JM. Chronic endothelin-1 treatment leads to heterologous
desensitization of insulin signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. J Clin
Invest 107: 1193–1202, 2001.
293. Ishii I, Fukushima N, Ye X, and Chun J. Lysophospholipid
receptors: signaling and biology. Annu Rev Biochem 73: 321–354,
2004.
294. Ishikawa Y, Bianchi C, Nadal-Ginard B, and Homcy CJ. Alternative promoter and 5⬘ exon generate a novel Gs alpha mRNA.
J Biol Chem 265: 8458 – 8462, 1990.
295. Islam MS, Larsson O, Nilsson T, and Berggren PO. Effects of
caffeine on cytoplasmic free Ca2⫹ concentration in pancreatic
beta-cells are mediated by interaction with ATP-sensitive K⫹ channels and L-type voltage-gated Ca2⫹ channels but not the ryanodine
receptor. Biochem J 306: 679 – 686, 1995.
296. Itoh Y, Kawamata Y, Harada M, Kobayashi M, Fujii R, Fukusumi S, Ogi K, Hosoya M, Tanaka Y, Uejima H, Tanaka H,
Maruyama M, Satoh R, Okubo S, Kizawa H, Komatsu H, Matsumura F, Noguchi Y, Shinohara T, Hinuma S, Fujisawa Y, and
Fujino M. Free fatty acids regulate insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells through GPR40. Nature 422: 173–176, 2003.
297. Ivey K, Tyson B, Ukidwe P, McFadden DG, Levi G, Olson EN,
Srivastava D, and Wilkie TM. Galphaq and Galpha11 proteins
mediate endothelin-1 signaling in neural crest-derived pharyngeal
arch mesenchyme. Dev Biol 255: 230 –237, 2003.
298. Iwamoto T, Okumura S, Iwatsubo K, Kawabe J, Ohtsu K,
Sakai I, Hashimoto Y, Izumitani A, Sango K, Ajiki K, Toya Y,
Umemura S, Goshima Y, Arai N, Vatner SF, and Ishikawa Y.
Motor dysfunction in type 5 adenylyl cyclase-null mice. J Biol
Chem 278: 16936 –16940, 2003.
299. Iwase M, Bishop SP, Uechi M, Vatner DE, Shannon RP, Kudej
RK, Wight DC, Wagner TE, Ishikawa Y, Homcy CJ, and Vatner
SF. Adverse effects of chronic endogenous sympathetic drive induced by cardiac GS alpha overexpression. Circ Res 78: 517–524,
1996.
300. Iwase M, Uechi M, Vatner DE, Asai K, Shannon RP, Kudej RK,
Wagner TE, Wight DC, Patrick TA, Ishikawa Y, Homcy CJ,
and Vatner SF. Cardiomyopathy induced by cardiac Gs alpha
overexpression. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 272: H585–H589,
1997.
301. Izumo S, Nadal-Ginard B, and Mahdavi V. Protooncogene induction and reprogramming of cardiac gene expression produced
by pressure overload. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85: 339 –343, 1988.
302. Jackson IJ. The G-netics of dark skin. Nat Genet 36: 935–936,
2004.
303. Jackson SP, Nesbitt WS, and Kulkarni S. Signaling events underlying thrombus formation. J Thromb Haemost 1: 1602–1612,
2003.
304. Jantzen HM, Milstone DS, Gousset L, Conley PB, and
Mortensen RM. Impaired activation of murine platelets lacking G
alpha(i2). J Clin Invest 108: 477– 483, 2001.
305. Jarvis SE, Magga JM, Beedle AM, Braun JE, and Zamponi
GW. G protein modulation of N-type calcium channels is facilitated
by physical interactions between syntaxin 1A and Gbetagamma.
J Biol Chem 275: 6388 – 6394, 2000.
307. Jiang H, Wu D, and Simon MI. The transforming activity of
activated G alpha 12. FEBS Lett 330: 319 –322, 1993.
308. Jiang M, Gold MS, Boulay G, Spicher K, Peyton M, Brabet P,
Srinivasan Y, Rudolph U, Ellison G, and Birnbaumer L. Multiple neurological abnormalities in mice deficient in the G protein Go.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95: 3269 –3274, 1998.
309. Jiang Y, Ma W, Wan Y, Kozasa T, Hattori S, and Huang XY. The
G protein G alpha12 stimulates Bruton’s tyrosine kinase and a
rasGAP through a conserved PH/BM domain. Nature 395: 808 – 813,
1998.
1193
1194
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
349.
350.
351.
352.
353.
354.
355.
356.
357.
358.
359.
360.
361.
362.
363.
364.
365.
366.
367.
368.
activating protein for Galpha12 and Galpha13. Science 280: 2109 –
2111, 1998.
Krapivinsky G, Krapivinsky L, Wickman K, and Clapham DE.
G beta gamma binds directly to the G protein-gated K⫹ channel,
IKACh. J Biol Chem 270: 29059 –29062, 1995.
Krause M, Offermanns S, Stocker M, and Pedarzani P. Functional specificity of G alpha q and G alpha 11 in the cholinergic and
glutamatergic modulation of potassium currents and excitability in
hippocampal neurons. J Neurosci 22: 666 – 673, 2002.
Kreuzer J, Nurnberg B, and Krieger-Brauer HI. Ligand-dependent autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor is positively regulated by Gi-proteins. Biochem J 380: 831– 836, 2004.
Krispel CM, Chen CK, Simon MI, and Burns ME. Prolonged
photoresponses and defective adaptation in rods of Gbeta5 ⫺/⫺
mice. J Neurosci 23: 6965– 6971, 2003.
Kuang Y, Wu Y, Jiang H, and Wu D. Selective G protein coupling
by C-C chemokine receptors. J Biol Chem 271: 3975–3978, 1996.
Kunapuli SP, Dorsam RT, Kim S, and Quinton TM. Platelet
purinergic receptors. Curr Opin Pharmacol 3: 175–180, 2003.
Kunkel EJ and Butcher EC. Chemokines and the tissue-specific
migration of lymphocytes. Immunity 16: 1– 4, 2002.
Kurachi Y, Ito H, Sugimoto T, Katada T, and Ui M. Activation
of atrial muscarinic K⫹ channels by low concentrations of beta
gamma subunits of rat brain G protein. Pflügers Arch 413: 325–327,
1989.
Kurihara Y, Kurihara H, Oda H, Maemura K, Nagai R,
Ishikawa T, and Yazaki Y. Aortic arch malformations and ventricular septal defect in mice deficient in endothelin-1. J Clin Invest
96: 293–300, 1995.
Kurihara Y, Kurihara H, Suzuki H, Kodama T, Maemura K,
Nagai R, Oda H, Kuwaki T, Cao WH, Kamada N, Jishage K,
Ouchi Y, Azuma S, Toyoda Y, Ishikawa T, Kumada M, and
Yazaki Y. Elevated blood pressure and craniofacial abnormalities
in mice deficient in endothelin-1 Nature 368: 703–710, 1994.
Kurose H. Galpha12 and Galpha13 as key regulatory mediator in
signal transduction. Life Sci 74: 155–161, 2003.
Kuwahara K, Saito Y, Nakagawa O, Kishimoto I, Harada M,
Ogawa E, Miyamoto Y, Hamanaka I, Kajiyama N, Takahashi N,
Izumi T, Kawakami R, Tamura N, Ogawa Y, and Nakao K. The
effects of the selective ROCK inhibitor, Y27632, on ET-1-induced
hypertrophic response in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes—possible
involvement of Rho/ROCK pathway in cardiac muscle cell hypertrophy. FEBS Lett 452: 314 –318, 1999.
Lambright DG. Heterotrimeric G protein signaling at atomic resolution. In: Handbook of Cell Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA
and Dennis EA. Boston, MA: Academic, 2004, p. 575–5579.
LaMorte VJ, Thorburn J, Absher D, Spiegel A, Brown JH,
Chien KR, Feramisco JR, and Knowlton KU. Gq- and ras-dependent pathways mediate hypertrophy of neonatal rat ventricular
myocytes following alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation. J Biol Chem
269: 13490 –13496, 1994.
Landis CA, Masters SB, Spada A, Pace AM, Bourne HR, and
Vallar L. GTPase inhibiting mutations activate the alpha chain of
Gs and stimulate adenylyl cyclase in human pituitary tumours.
Nature 340: 692– 696, 1989.
Lang J. Molecular mechanisms and regulation of insulin exocytosis as a paradigm of endocrine secretion. Eur J Biochem 259: 3–17,
1999.
Lang J, Nishimoto I, Okamoto T, Regazzi R, Kiraly C, Weller
U, and Wollheim CB. Direct control of exocytosis by receptormediated activation of the heterotrimeric GTPases Gi and G(o) or
by the expression of their active G alpha subunits. EMBO J 14:
3635–3644, 1995.
Lania A, Mantovani G, and Spada A. G protein mutations in
endocrine diseases. Eur J Endocrinol 145: 543–559, 2001.
Laudanna C, Campbell JJ, and Butcher EC. Role of Rho in
chemoattractant-activated leukocyte adhesion through integrins.
Science 271: 981–983, 1996.
Laugwitz KL, Allgeier A, Offermanns S, Spicher K, Van Sande
J, Dumont JE, and Schultz G. The human thyrotropin receptor:
a heptahelical receptor capable of stimulating members of all four
G protein families. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93: 116 –120, 1996.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
329. Kehlenbach RH, Matthey J, and Huttner WB. XL alpha s is a
new type of G protein. Nature 372: 804 – 809, 1994.
330. Keverne EB. The vomeronasal organ. Science 286: 716 –720, 1999.
331. Keys JR, Greene EA, Koch WJ, and Eckhart AD. Gq-coupled
receptor agonists mediate cardiac hypertrophy via the vasculature.
Hypertension 40: 660 – 666, 2002.
332. Kieffer TJ. GIP or not GIP? That is the question. Trends Pharmacol Sci 24: 110 –112, 2003.
333. Kifor O, Diaz R, Butters R, and Brown EM. The Ca2⫹-sensing
receptor (CaR) activates phospholipases C, A2, and D in bovine
parathyroid and CaR-transfected, human embryonic kidney
(HEK293) cells. J Bone Miner Res 12: 715–725, 1997.
334. Kim IS, Kim ER, Nam HJ, Chin MO, Moon YH, Oh MR, Yeo UC,
Song SM, Kim JS, Uhm MR, Beck NS, and Jin DK. Activating
mutation of GS alpha in McCune-Albright syndrome causes skin
pigmentation by tyrosinase gene activation on affected melanocytes. Horm Res 52: 235–240, 1999.
335. Kishi K, Hayashi H, Wang L, Kamohara S, Tamaoka K,
Shimizu T, Ushikubi F, Narumiya S, and Ebina Y. Gq-coupled
receptors transmit the signal for GLUT4 translocation via an insulin-independent pathway. J Biol Chem 271: 26561–26568, 1996.
336. Kishi K, Muromoto N, Nakaya Y, Miyata I, Hagi A, Hayashi H,
and Ebina Y. Bradykinin directly triggers GLUT4 translocation via
an insulin-independent pathway. Diabetes 47: 550 –558, 1998.
337. Klages B, Brandt U, Simon MI, Schultz G, and Offermanns S.
Activation of G12/G13 results in shape change and Rho/Rho-kinasemediated myosin light chain phosphorylation in mouse platelets.
J Cell Biol 144: 745–754, 1999.
338. Klemke M, Kehlenbach RH, and Huttner WB. Two overlapping
reading frames in a single exon encode interacting proteins–a novel
way of gene usage. EMBO J 20: 3849 –3860, 2001.
339. Klemke M, Pasolli HA, Kehlenbach RH, Offermanns S,
Schultz G, and Huttner WB. Characterization of the extra-large G
protein alpha-subunit XLalphas. II. Signal transduction properties.
J Biol Chem 275: 33633–33640, 2000.
340. Kleppisch T, Voigt V, Allmann R, and Offermanns S. G(alpha)qdeficient mice lack metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent
long-term depression but show normal long-term potentiation in
the hippocampal CA1 region. J Neurosci 21: 4943– 4948, 2001.
341. Knowlton KU, Michel MC, Itani M, Shubeita HE, Ishihara K,
Brown JH, and Chien KR. The alpha 1A-adrenergic receptor
subtype mediates biochemical, molecular, and morphologic features of cultured myocardial cell hypertrophy. J Biol Chem 268:
15374 –15380, 1993.
342. Kojima M, Hosoda H, Date Y, Nakazato M, Matsuo H, and
Kangawa K. Ghrelin is a growth-hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach. Nature 402: 656 – 660, 1999.
343. Korbonits M, Goldstone AP, Gueorguiev M, and Grossman
AB. Ghrelin—a hormone with multiple functions. Front Neuroendocrinol 25: 27– 68, 2004.
344. Kosugi S, Okajima F, Ban T, Hidaka A, Shenker A, and Kohn
LD. Substitutions of different regions of the third cytoplasmic loop
of the thyrotropin (TSH) receptor have selective effects on constitutive, TSH-, and TSH receptor autoantibody-stimulated phosphoinositide and 3⬘,5⬘-cyclic adenosine monophosphate signal generation. Mol Endocrinol 7: 1009 –1020, 1993.
345. Kotani M, Detheux M, Vandenbogaerde A, Communi D,
Vanderwinden JM, Le Poul E, Brezillon S, Tyldesley R,
Suarez-Huerta N, Vandeput F, Blanpain C, Schiffmann SN,
Vassart G, and Parmentier M. The metastasis suppressor gene
KiSS-1 encodes kisspeptins, the natural ligands of the orphan G
protein-coupled receptor GPR54. J Biol Chem 276: 34631–34636,
2001.
346. Kotarsky K, Nilsson NE, Flodgren E, Owman C, and Olde B. A
human cell surface receptor activated by free fatty acids and
thiazolidinedione drugs. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 301: 406 –
410, 2003.
347. Kozasa T. Mechanism of beta-gamma effector interaction. In:
Handbook of Cell Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA and Dennis
EA. Boston, MA: Academic, 2004, p. 639 – 643.
348. Kozasa T, Jiang X, Hart MJ, Sternweis PM, Singer WD, Gilman AG, Bollag G, and Sternweis PC. p115 RhoGEF, a GTPase
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
390. Lincoln TM, Cornwell TL, and Taylor AE. cGMP-dependent
protein kinase mediates the reduction of Ca2⫹ by cAMP in vascular
smooth muscle cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 258: C399 –C407,
1990.
391. Lindemann B. Receptors and transduction in taste. Nature 413:
219 –225, 2001.
392. Lippert E, Baltensperger K, Jacques Y, and Hermouet S. G
alpha16 protein expression is up- and down-regulated following
T-cell activation: disruption of this regulation impairs activationinduced cell responses. FEBS Lett 417: 292–296, 1997.
393. Liu G, Duranteau L, Carel JC, Monroe J, Doyle DA, and
Shenker A. Leydig-cell tumors caused by an activating mutation of
the gene encoding the luteinizing hormone receptor. N Engl J Med
341: 1731–1736, 1999.
394. Liu J, Erlichman B, and Weinstein LS. The stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit Gs alpha is imprinted in human thyroid glands:
implications for thyroid function in pseudohypoparathyroidism
types 1A and 1B. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 4336 – 4341, 2003.
395. Liu J, Litman D, Rosenberg MJ, Yu S, Biesecker LG, and
Weinstein LS. A GNAS1 imprinting defect in pseudohypoparathyroidism type IB. J Clin Invest 106: 1167–1174, 2000.
396. Liu J, Yu S, Litman D, Chen W, and Weinstein LS. Identification
of a methylation imprint mark within the mouse Gnas locus. Mol
Cell Biol 20: 5808 –5817, 2000.
397. Liu L, Schwartz BR, Lin N, Winn RK, and Harlan JM. Requirement for RhoA kinase activation in leukocyte de-adhesion. J Immunol 169: 2330 –2336, 2002.
398. Logothetis DE, Kurachi Y, Galper J, Neer EJ, and Clapham
DE. The beta gamma subunits of GTP-binding proteins activate the
muscarinic K⫹ channel in heart. Nature 325: 321–326, 1987.
399. Lohse MJ. Beta-adrenergic system. In: Encyclopedic Reference of
Molecular Pharmacology, edited by Offermanns S and Rosenthal
W. Berlin: Springer, 2004, p. 169 –172.
400. Lombardi MS, Kavelaars A, and Heijnen CJ. Role and modulation of G protein-coupled receptor signaling in inflammatory processes. Crit Rev Immunol 22: 141–163, 2002.
401. Londos C, Brasaemle DL, Schultz CJ, Adler-Wailes DC, Levin
DM, Kimmel AR, and Rondinone CM. On the control of lipolysis
in adipocytes. Ann NY Acad Sci 892: 155–168, 1999.
402. Lowry WE and Huang XY. G Protein beta gamma subunits act on
the catalytic domain to stimulate Bruton’s agammaglobulinemia
tyrosine kinase. J Biol Chem 277: 1488 –1492, 2002.
403. Ludwig MG, Vanek M, Guerini D, Gasser JA, Jones CE,
Junker U, Hofstetter H, Wolf RM, and Seuwen K. Protonsensing G protein-coupled receptors. Nature 425: 93–98, 2003.
404. Lukashev D, Ohta A, Apasov S, Chen JF, and Sitkovsky M.
Cutting edge: physiologic attenuation of proinflammatory transcription by the Gs protein-coupled A2A adenosine receptor in
vivo. J Immunol 173: 21–24, 2004.
405. Luttrell LM, Ferguson SS, Daaka Y, Miller WE, Maudsley S,
Della Rocca GJ, Lin F, Kawakatsu H, Owada K, Luttrell DK,
Caron MG, and Lefkowitz RJ. Beta-arrestin-dependent formation of beta2 adrenergic receptor-Src protein kinase complexes.
Science 283: 655– 661, 1999.
406. Lyons J, Landis CA, Harsh G, Vallar L, Grunewald K, Feichtinger H, Duh QY, Clark OH, Kawasaki E, Bourne HR, and
McCormick F. Two G protein oncogenes in human endocrine
tumors. Science 249: 655– 659, 1990.
407. Lyubarsky AL, Naarendorp F, Zhang X, Wensel T, Simon MI,
and Pugh EN Jr. RGS9 –1 is required for normal inactivation of
mouse cone phototransduction. Mol Vis 7: 71–78, 2001.
408. Ma YH, Landis C, Tchao N, Wang J, Rodd G, Hanahan D,
Bourne HR, and Grodsky GM. Constitutively active stimulatory
G protein alpha s in beta-cells of transgenic mice causes counterregulation of the increased adenosine 3⬘,5⬘-monophosphate and
insulin secretion. Endocrinology 134: 42– 47, 1994.
409. Maejima T, Hashimoto K, Yoshida T, Aiba A, and Kano M.
Presynaptic inhibition caused by retrograde signal from metabotropic glutamate to cannabinoid receptors. Neuron 31: 463– 475,
2001.
410. Magga JM, Jarvis SE, Arnot MI, Zamponi GW, and Braun JE.
Cysteine string protein regulates G protein modulation of N-type
calcium channels. Neuron 28: 195–204, 2000.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
369. Laurent E, Mockel J, Van Sande J, Graff I, and Dumont JE.
Dual activation by thyrotropin of the phospholipase C and cyclic
AMP cascades in human thyroid. Mol Cell Endocrinol 52: 273–278,
1987.
370. Law PY, Wong YH, and Loh HH. Molecular mechanisms and
regulation of opioid receptor signaling. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 40: 389 – 430, 2000.
371. Lawrence JT and Birnbaum MJ. ADP-ribosylation factor 6 delineates separate pathways used by endothelin 1 and insulin for
stimulating glucose uptake in 3T3–L1 adipocytes. Mol Cell Biol 21:
5276 –5285, 2001.
372. Le LQ, Kabarowski JH, Weng Z, Satterthwaite AB, Harvill ET,
Jensen ER, Miller JF, and Witte ON. Mice lacking the orphan G
protein-coupled receptor G2A develop a late-onset autoimmune
syndrome. Immunity 14: 561–571, 2001.
373. Le Y, Murphy PM, and Wang JM. Formyl-peptide receptors revisited. Trends Immunol 23: 541–548, 2002.
374. Leck KJ, Bartlett SE, Smith MT, Megirian D, Holgate J, Powell KL, Matthaei KI, and Hendry IA. Deletion of guanine nucleotide binding protein alpha z subunit in mice induces a gene dose
dependent tolerance to morphine. Neuropharmacology 46: 836 –
846, 2004.
375. Lee B, Yang C, Chen TH, al-Azawi N, and Hsu WH. Effect of
AVP and oxytocin on insulin release: involvement of V1b receptors.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 269: E1095–E1100, 1995.
376. Lee DK, George SR, and O’Dowd BF. Continued discovery of
ligands for G protein-coupled receptors. Life Sci 74: 293–297, 2003.
377. Lee H, Liao JJ, Graeler M, Huang MC, and Goetzl EJ. Lysophospholipid regulation of mononuclear phagocytes. Biochim Biophys Acta 1582: 175–177, 2002.
378. Leeb-Lundberg LM, Marceau F, Muller-Esterl W, Pettibone
DJ, and Zuraw BL. International union of pharmacology. XLV.
Classification of the kinin receptor family: from molecular mechanisms to pathophysiological consequences. Pharmacol Rev 57: 27–
77, 2005.
379. Leon C, Hechler B, Freund M, Eckly A, Vial C, Ohlmann P,
Dierich A, LeMeur M, Cazenave JP, and Gachet C. Defective
platelet aggregation and increased resistance to thrombosis in
purinergic P2Y(1) receptor-null mice. J Clin Invest 104: 1731–1737,
1999.
380. Levenes C, Daniel H, and Crepel F. Retrograde modulation of
transmitter release by postsynaptic subtype 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors in the rat cerebellum. J Physiol 537: 125–140, 2001.
381. Levine MA, Downs RW Jr, Moses AM, Breslau NA, Marx SJ,
Lasker RD, Rizzoli RE, Aurbach GD, and Spiegel AM. Resistance to multiple hormones in patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism. Association with deficient activity of guanine nucleotide
regulatory protein. Am J Med 74: 545–556, 1983.
382. Levine MA, Jap TS, and Hung W. Infantile hypothyroidism in two
sibs: an unusual presentation of pseudohypoparathyroidism type
Ia. J Pediatr 107: 919 –922, 1985.
383. Leypold BG, Yu CR, Leinders-Zufall T, Kim MM, Zufall F, and
Axel R. Altered sexual and social behaviors in trp2 mutant mice.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99: 6376 – 6381, 2002.
384. Li Q, Lau A, Morris TJ, Guo L, Fordyce CB, and Stanley EF. A
syntaxin 1, Galpha(o), and N-type calcium channel complex at a
presynaptic nerve terminal: analysis by quantitative immunocolocalization. J Neurosci 24: 4070 – 4081, 2004.
385. Li X and Lim B. RhoGTPases and their role in cancer. Oncol Res
13: 323–331, 2003.
386. Li X, Staszewski L, Xu H, Durick K, Zoller M, and Adler E.
Human receptors for sweet and umami taste. Proc Natl Acad Sci
USA 99: 4692– 4696, 2002.
387. Li Y and Anand-Srivastava MB. Inactivation of enhanced expression of G(i) proteins by pertussis toxin attenuates the development
of high blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Circ Res
91: 247–254, 2002.
388. Li Z, Jiang H, Xie W, Zhang Z, Smrcka AV, and Wu D. Roles of
PLC-beta2 and -beta3 and PI3Kgamma in chemoattractant-mediated signal transduction. Science 287: 1046 –1049, 2000.
389. Lin SH and Civelli O. Orphan G protein-coupled receptors: targets for new therapeutic interventions. Ann Med 36: 204 –214, 2004.
1195
1196
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
432. Mehlmann LM, Jones TL, and Jaffe LA. Meiotic arrest in the
mouse follicle maintained by a Gs protein in the oocyte. Science
297: 1343–1345, 2002.
433. Mehlmann LM, Saeki Y, Tanaka S, Brennan TJ, Evsikov AV,
Pendola FL, Knowles BB, Eppig JJ, and Jaffe LA. The Gslinked receptor GPR3 maintains meiotic arrest in mammalian oocytes. Science 306: 1947–1950, 2004.
434. Meigs TE, Fedor-Chaiken M, Kaplan DD, Brackenbury R, and
Casey PJ. Galpha12 and Galpha13 negatively regulate the adhesive
functions of cadherin. J Biol Chem 277: 24594 –24600, 2002.
435. Meigs TE, Fields TA, McKee DD, and Casey PJ. Interaction of
Galpha 12 and Galpha 13 with the cytoplasmic domain of cadherin
provides a mechanism for beta-catenin release. Proc Natl Acad Sci
USA 98: 519 –524, 2001.
436. Melyan Z, Tarttelin EE, Bellingham J, Lucas RJ, and Hankins
MW. Addition of human melanopsin renders mammalian cells photoresponsive. Nature 433: 741–745, 2005.
437. Mende U, Kagen A, Cohen A, Aramburu J, Schoen FJ, and
Neer EJ. Transient cardiac expression of constitutively active
Galphaq leads to hypertrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy by calcineurin-dependent and independent pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci
USA 95: 13893–13898, 1998.
438. Meng J and Casey PJ. Signaling through Gz. In: Handbook of Cell
Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA and Dennis EA. Boston, MA:
Academic, 2004, p. 601– 604.
439. Meza U and Adams B. G protein-dependent facilitation of neuronal alpha1A, alpha1B, and alpha1E Ca channels. J Neurosci 18:
5240 –5252, 1998.
440. Michel MC, Beck-Sickinger A, Cox H, Doods HN, Herzog H,
Larhammar D, Quirion R, Schwartz T, and Westfall TX VI.
International Union of Pharmacology recommendations for the
nomenclature of neuropeptide Y, peptide YY, and pancreatic
polypeptide receptors. Pharmacol Rev 50: 143–150, 1998.
441. Michoud MC, Tolloczko B, and Martin JG. Effects of purine
nucleotides and nucleoside on cytosolic calcium levels in rat tracheal smooth muscle cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 16: 199 –205,
1997.
442. Mieda M and Yanagisawa M. Sleep, feeding, and neuropeptides:
roles of orexins and orexin receptors. Curr Opin Neurobiol 12:
339 –345, 2002.
443. Milano CA, Allen LF, Rockman HA, Dolber PC, McMinn TR,
Chien KR, Johnson TD, Bond RA, and Lefkowitz RJ. Enhanced
myocardial function in transgenic mice overexpressing the beta
2-adrenergic receptor. Science 264: 582–586, 1994.
444. Milano CA, Dolber PC, Rockman HA, Bond RA, Venable ME,
Allen LF, and Lefkowitz RJ. Myocardial expression of a constitutively active alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor in transgenic mice
induces cardiac hypertrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91: 10109 –
10113, 1994.
445. Millar RP, Lu ZL, Pawson AJ, Flanagan CA, Morgan K, and
Maudsley SR. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors. Endocr
Rev 25: 235–275, 2004.
446. Miller MJ, Rioux L, Prendergast GV, Cannon S, White MA,
and Meinkoth JL. Differential effects of protein kinase A on Ras
effector pathways. Mol Cell Biol 18: 3718 –3726, 1998.
447. Miller RE. Pancreatic neuroendocrinology: peripheral neural
mechanisms in the regulation of the Islets of Langerhans. Endocr
Rev 2: 471– 494, 1981.
448. Milligan G and Grassie MA. How do G proteins stay at the
plasma membrane? Essays Biochem 32: 49 – 60, 1997.
449. Mirotznik RR, Zheng X, and Stanley EF. G protein types involved in calcium channel inhibition at a presynaptic nerve terminal. J Neurosci 20: 7614 –7621, 2000.
450. Missy K, Plantavid M, Pacaud P, Viala C, Chap H, and Payrastre B. Rho-kinase is involved in the sustained phosphorylation of
myosin and the irreversible platelet aggregation induced by PAR1
activating peptide. Thromb Haemost 85: 514 –520, 2001.
451. Miura M, Watanabe M, Offermanns S, Simon MI, and Kano M.
Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling via Galpha
q/Galpha 11 secures the induction of long-term potentiation in the
hippocampal area CA1. J Neurosci 22: 8379 – 8390, 2002.
452. Miyata M, Finch EA, Khiroug L, Hashimoto K, Hayasaka S,
Oda SI, Inouye M, Takagishi Y, Augustine GJ, and Kano M.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
411. Majumdar M, Seasholtz TM, Buckmaster C, Toksoz D, and
Brown JH. A rho exchange factor mediates thrombin and Galpha(12)-induced cytoskeletal responses. J Biol Chem 274: 26815–
26821, 1999.
412. Malbon CC. Insulin signalling: putting the ’G-’ in protein-protein
interactions. Biochem J 380: 11–12, 2004.
413. Manning DR. Evidence mounts for receptor-independent activation of heterotrimeric G proteins normally in vivo: positioning of
the mitotic spindle in C. elegans. Sci STKE 2003: pe35, 2003.
414. Mantovani G, Ballare E, Giammona E, Beck-Peccoz P, and
Spada A. The Gsalpha gene: predominant maternal origin of transcription in human thyroid gland and gonads. J Clin Endocrinol
Metab 87: 4736 – 4740, 2002.
415. Mantovani G, Maghnie M, Weber G, De Menis E, Brunelli V,
Cappa M, Loli P, Beck-Peccoz P, and Spada A. Growth hormone-releasing hormone resistance in pseudohypoparathyroidism
type Ia: new evidence for imprinting of the Gs alpha gene. J Clin
Endocrinol Metab 88: 4070 – 4074, 2003.
416. Margolskee RF. Molecular mechanisms of bitter and sweet taste
transduction. J Biol Chem 277: 1– 4, 2002.
417. Marians RC, Ng L, Blair HC, Unger P, Graves PN, and Davies
TF. Defining thyrotropin-dependent and -independent steps of thyroid hormone synthesis by using thyrotropin receptor-null mice.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99: 15776 –15781, 2002.
418. Marie JC, Rosselin G, and Skoglund G. Pancreatic beta-cell
receptors and G proteins coupled to adenylyl cyclase. Ann NY
Acad Sci 805: 122–132, 1996.
419. Marinaro M, Staats HF, Hiroi T, Jackson RJ, Coste M, Boyaka
PN, Okahashi N, Yamamoto M, Kiyono H, Bluethmann H,
Fujihashi K, and McGhee JR. Mucosal adjuvant effect of cholera
toxin in mice results from induction of T helper 2 (Th2) cells and
IL-4. J Immunol 155: 4621– 4629, 1995.
420. Mark MD and Herlitze S. G protein mediated gating of inwardrectifier K⫹ channels. Eur J Biochem 267: 5830 –5836, 2000.
421. Marsh KA and Hill SJ. Bradykinin B2 receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in bovine cultured tracheal smooth muscle
cells. Br J Pharmacol 107: 443– 447, 1992.
422. Marteau F, Le Poul E, Communi D, Labouret C, Savi P,
Boeynaems JM, and Gonzalez NS. Pharmacological characterization of the human P2Y13 receptor. Mol Pharmacol 64: 104 –112,
2003.
423. Maruyama Y, Nishida M, Sugimoto Y, Tanabe S, Turner JH,
Kozasa T, Wada T, Nagao T, and Kurose H. Galpha(12/13)
mediates alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Circ Res 91: 961–969, 2002.
424. Mastorakos G, Mitsiades NS, Doufas AG, and Koutras DA.
Hyperthyroidism in McCune-Albright syndrome with a review of
thyroid abnormalities sixty years after the first report. Thyroid 7:
433– 439, 1997.
425. Masu M, Iwakabe H, Tagawa Y, Miyoshi T, Yamashita M,
Fukuda Y, Sasaki H, Hiroi K, Nakamura Y, and Shigemoto R.
Specific deficit of the ON response in visual transmission by targeted disruption of the mGluR6 gene. Cell 80: 757–765, 1995.
426. Masumoto A, Hirooka Y, Shimokawa H, Hironaga K, Setoguchi S, and Takeshita A. Possible involvement of Rho-kinase in the
pathogenesis of hypertension in humans. Hypertension 38: 1307–
1310, 2001.
427. Matsumoto K, Fukunaga K, Miyazaki J, Shichiri M, and Miyamoto E. Ca2⫹/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and synapsin I-like protein in mouse insulinoma MIN6 cells. Endocrinology
136: 3784 –3793, 1995.
428. Matsunami H and Buck LB. A multigene family encoding a diverse array of putative pheromone receptors in mammals. Cell 90:
775–784, 1997.
429. Matsunami H, Montmayeur JP, and Buck LB. A family of candidate taste receptors in human and mouse. Nature 404: 601– 604,
2000.
430. Mayo KE, Godfrey PA, Suhr ST, Kulik DJ, and Rahal JO.
Growth hormone-releasing hormone: synthesis and signaling. Recent Prog Horm Res 50: 35–73, 1995.
431. Mayo KE, Miller LJ, Bataille D, Dalle S, Goke B, Thorens B,
and Drucker DJ. International Union of Pharmacology. XXXV.
The glucagon receptor family. Pharmacol Rev 55: 167–194, 2003.
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
453.
454.
455.
456.
458.
459.
460.
461.
462.
463.
464.
465.
466.
467.
468.
469.
470.
471.
472.
Physiol Rev • VOL
473.
474.
475.
476.
477.
478.
479.
480.
481.
482.
483.
484.
485.
486.
487.
488.
489.
490.
491.
492.
regulated messenger ribonucleic acid expression of KiSS-1 and its
putative receptor, GPR54, in rat hypothalamus and potent luteinizing hormone-releasing activity of KiSS-1 peptide. Endocrinology
145: 4565– 4574, 2004.
Nebigil CG, Choi DS, Dierich A, Hickel P, Le Meur M, Messaddeq N, Launay JM, and Maroteaux L. Serotonin 2B receptor
is required for heart development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:
9508 –9513, 2000.
Nebigil CG, Jaffre F, Messaddeq N, Hickel P, Monassier L,
Launay JM, and Maroteaux L. Overexpression of the serotonin
5-HT2B receptor in heart leads to abnormal mitochondrial function
and cardiac hypertrophy. Circulation 107: 3223–3229, 2003.
Neer EJ. Heterotrimeric G proteins: organizers of transmembrane
signals. Cell 80: 249 –257, 1995.
Nel AE, Vandenplas M, Wooten MM, Cooper R, Vandenplas S,
Rheeder A, and Daniels J. Cholera toxin partially inhibits the
T-cell response to phytohaemagglutinin through the ADP-ribosylation of a 45 kDa membrane protein. Biochem J 256: 383–390, 1988.
Nelson G, Hoon MA, Chandrashekar J, Zhang Y, Ryba NJ, and
Zuker CS. Mammalian sweet taste receptors. Cell 106: 381–390,
2001.
Nemeth EF and Scarpa A. Rapid mobilization of cellular Ca2⫹ in
bovine parathyroid cells evoked by extracellular divalent cations.
Evidence for a cell surface calcium receptor. J Biol Chem 262:
5188 –5196, 1987.
Neptune ER and Bourne HR. Receptors induce chemotaxis by
releasing the betagamma subunit of Gi, not by activating Gq or Gs.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94: 14489 –14494, 1997.
Neptune ER, Iiri T, and Bourne HR. Galphai is not required for
chemotaxis mediated by Gi-coupled receptors. J Biol Chem 274:
2824 –2828, 1999.
Neubig RR and Siderovski DP. Regulators of G protein signalling
as new central nervous system drug targets. Nat Rev Drug Discov
1: 187–197, 2002.
Neumann J, Schmitz W, Scholz H, von Meyerinck L, Doring V,
and Kalmar P. Increase in myocardial Gi-proteins in heart failure.
Lancet 2: 936 –937, 1988.
Nieswandt B, Schulte V, Zywietz A, Gratacap MP, and Offermanns S. Costimulation of Gi- and G12/G13-mediated signaling
pathways induces integrin alpha IIbbeta 3 activation in platelets.
J Biol Chem 277: 39493–39498, 2002.
Niggli V. Signaling to migration in neutrophils: importance of
localized pathways. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 35: 1619 –1638, 2003.
Niu J, Vaiskunaite R, Suzuki N, Kozasa T, Carr DW, Dulin N,
and Voyno-Yasenetskaya TA. Interaction of heterotrimeric G13
protein with an A-kinase-anchoring protein 110 (AKAP110) mediates cAMP-independent PKA activation. Curr Biol 11: 1686 –1690,
2001.
Norlin EM, Gussing F, and Berghard A. Vomeronasal phenotype
and behavioral alterations in G alpha i2 mutant mice. Curr Biol 13:
1214 –1219, 2003.
Oak JN and Van Tol Dopamine HHM. Dopamine system. In:
Encyclopedic Reference of Molecular Pharmacology, edited by Offermanns S and Rosenthal W. Berlin: Springer, 2004, p. 310 –315.
Ofer W. G protein regulation of channels. In: Handbook of Cell
Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA and Dennis EA. Boston, MA:
Academic Press, 2004, p. 667– 670.
Offermanns S, Hashimoto K, Watanabe M, Sun W, Kurihara
H, Thompson RF, Inoue Y, Kano M, and Simon MI. Impaired
motor coordination and persistent multiple climbing fiber innervation of cerebellar Purkinje cells in mice lacking Galphaq. Proc Natl
Acad Sci USA 94: 14089 –14094, 1997.
Offermanns S, Heiler E, Spicher K, and Schultz G. Gq and G11
are concurrently activated by bombesin and vasopressin in Swiss
3T3 cells. FEBS Lett 349: 201–204, 1994.
Offermanns S, Hu YH, and Simon MI. Galpha12 and Galpha13
are phosphorylated during platelet activation. J Biol Chem 271:
26044 –26048, 1996.
Offermanns S, Laugwitz KL, Spicher K, and Schultz G. G
proteins of the G12 family are activated via thromboxane A2 and
thrombin receptors in human platelets. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:
504 –508, 1994.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
457.
Local calcium release in dendritic spines required for long-term
synaptic depression. Neuron 28: 233–244, 2000.
Miyata M, Kim HT, Hashimoto K, Lee TK, Cho SY, Jiang H, Wu
Y, Jun K, Wu D, Kano M, and Shin HS. Deficient long-term
synaptic depression in the rostral cerebellum correlated with impaired motor learning in phospholipase C beta4 mutant mice. Eur
J Neurosci 13: 1945–1954, 2001.
Mochly-Rosen D, Wu G, Hahn H, Osinska H, Liron T, Lorenz
JN, Yatani A, Robbins J, and Dorn GW II. Cardiotrophic effects
of protein kinase C epsilon: analysis by in vivo modulation of
PKCepsilon translocation. Circ Res 86: 1173–1179, 2000.
Moers A, Nieswandt B, Massberg S, Wettschureck N, Gruner
S, Konrad I, Schulte V, Aktas B, Gratacap MP, Simon MI,
Gawaz M, and Offermanns S. G13 is an essential mediator of
platelet activation in hemostasis and thrombosis. Nat Med 9: 1418 –
1422, 2003.
Moers A, Wettschureck N, Gruner S, Nieswandt B, and Offermanns S. Unresponsiveness of platelets lacking both G␣q and
G␣13: implications for collagen-induced platelet activation. J Biol
Chem 279: 45354 – 45359, 2004.
Mombaerts P. Genes and ligands for odorant, vomeronasal and
taste receptors. Nat Rev Neurosci 5: 263–278, 2004.
Montaner S, Sodhi A, Molinolo A, Bugge TH, Sawai ET, He Y,
Li Y, Ray PE, and Gutkind JS. Endothelial infection with KSHV
genes in vivo reveals that vGPCR initiates Kaposi’s sarcomagenesis
and can promote the tumorigenic potential of viral latent genes.
Cancer Cell 3: 23–36, 2003.
Moxham CM, Hod Y, and Malbon CC. Gi alpha 2 mediates the
inhibitory regulation of adenylylcyclase in vivo: analysis in transgenic mice with Gi alpha 2 suppressed by inducible antisense RNA.
Dev Genet 14: 266 –273, 1993.
Moxham CM, Hod Y, and Malbon CC. Induction of G alpha
i2-specific antisense RNA in vivo inhibits neonatal growth. Science
260: 991–995, 1993.
Moxham CM and Malbon CC. Insulin action impaired by deficiency of the G protein subunit G ialpha2. Nature 379: 840 – 844,
1996.
Muca C and Vallar L. Expression of mutationally activated G
alpha s stimulates growth and differentiation of thyroid FRTL5
cells. Oncogene 9: 3647–3653, 1994.
Mueller KL, Hoon MA, Erlenbach I, Chandrashekar J, Zuker
CS, and Ryba NJ. The receptors and coding logic for bitter taste.
Nature 434: 225–229, 2005.
Munoz JJ and Mackay IR. Production of experimental allergic
encephalomyelitis with the aid of pertussigen in mouse strains
considered genetically resistant. J Neuroimmunol 7: 91–96, 1984.
Murakami N, Yokomizo T, Okuno T, and Shimizu T. G2A is a
proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor antagonized by lysophosphatidylcholine. J Biol Chem 279: 42484 – 42491, 2004.
Murphy PM. International Union of Pharmacology. XXX. Update
on chemokine receptor nomenclature. Pharmacol Rev 54: 227–229,
2002.
Murphy PM, Baggiolini M, Charo IF, Hebert CA, Horuk R,
Matsushima K, Miller LH, Oppenheim JJ, and Power CA.
International union of pharmacology. XXII. Nomenclature for chemokine receptors. Pharmacol Rev 52: 145–176, 2000.
Nagata K, Ye C, Jain M, Milstone DS, Liao R, and Mortensen
RM. Galpha(i2) but not Galpha(i3) is required for muscarinic inhibition of contractility and calcium currents in adult cardiomyocytes. Circ Res 87: 903–909, 2000.
Nakano K, Suga S, Takeo T, Ogawa Y, Suda T, Kanno T, and
Wakui M. Intracellular Ca(2⫹) modulation of ATP-sensitive K(⫹)
channel activity in acetylcholine-induced activation of rat pancreatic beta-cells. Endocrinology 143: 569 –576, 2002.
Narumiya S, Sugimoto Y, and Ushikubi F. Prostanoid receptors:
structures, properties, and functions. Physiol Rev 79: 1193–1226,
1999.
Nathans J. The evolution and physiology of human color vision:
insights from molecular genetic studies of visual pigments. Neuron
24: 299 –312, 1999.
Navarro VM, Castellano JM, Fernandez-Fernandez R, Barreiro ML, Roa J, Sanchez-Criado JE, Aguilar E, Dieguez C,
Pinilla L, and Tena-Sempere M. Developmental and hormonally
1197
1198
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
515.
516.
517.
518.
519.
520.
521.
522.
523.
524.
525.
526.
527.
528.
529.
530.
531.
532.
intact and electrically permeabilized rat islets. Biochem J 258:
669 – 675, 1989.
Peters J, Wroe SF, Wells CA, Miller HJ, Bodle D, Beechey CV,
Williamson CM, and Kelsey G. A cluster of oppositely imprinted
transcripts at the Gnas locus in the distal imprinting region of
mouse chromosome 2. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96: 3830 –3835,
1999.
Petitcolin MA, Spitzbarth-Regrigny E, Bueb JL, CapdevilleAtkinson C, and Tschirhart E. Role of G(i)-proteins in norepinephrine-mediated vasoconstriction in rat tail artery smooth muscle. Biochem Pharmacol 61: 1169 –1175, 2001.
Petitcolin MA, Vandeputte C, Spitzbarth-Regrigny E, Bueb
JL, Capdeville-Atkinson C, and Tschirhart E. Lack of involvement of pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins in norepinephrineinduced vasoconstriction of rat aorta smooth muscle. Biochem
Pharmacol 61: 485– 491, 2001.
Pfeifer A, Klatt P, Massberg S, Ny L, Sausbier M, Hirneiss C,
Wang GX, Korth M, Aszodi A, Andersson KE, Krombach F,
Mayerhofer A, Ruth P, Fassler R, and Hofmann F. Defective
smooth muscle regulation in cGMP kinase I-deficient mice. EMBO
J 17: 3045–3051, 1998.
Pierce KL, Premont RT, and Lefkowitz RJ. Seven-transmembrane receptors. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 3: 639 – 650, 2002.
Pietruck F, Moritz A, Montemurro M, Sell A, Busch S, Rosskopf D, Virchow S, Esche H, Brockmeyer N, Jakobs KH, and
Siffert W. Selectively enhanced cellular signaling by Gi proteins in
essential hypertension. G alpha i2, G alpha i3, G beta 1, and G beta
2 are not mutated. Circ Res 79: 974 –983, 1996.
Piiper A, Stryjek-Kaminska D, Klengel R, and Zeuzem S. CCK,
carbachol, and bombesin activate distinct PLC-beta isoenzymes via
Gq/11 in rat pancreatic acinar membranes. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 272: G135–G140, 1997.
Plagge A, Gordon E, Dean W, Boiani R, Cinti S, Peters J, and
Kelsey G. The imprinted signaling protein XL alpha s is required
for postnatal adaptation to feeding. Nat Genet 36: 818 – 826, 2004.
Plonk SG, Park SK, and Exton JH. The alpha-subunit of the
heterotrimeric G protein G13 activates a phospholipase D isozyme
by a pathway requiring Rho family GTPases. J Biol Chem 273:
4823– 4826, 1998.
Ponce A, Bueno E, Kentros C, Vega-Saenz de Miera E, Chow
A, Hillman D, Chen S, Zhu L, Wu MB, Wu X, Rudy B, and
Thornhill WB. G protein-gated inward rectifier K⫹ channel proteins (GIRK1) are present in the soma and dendrites as well as in
nerve terminals of specific neurons in the brain. J Neurosci 16:
1990 –2001, 1996.
Poyner DR, Sexton PM, Marshall I, Smith DM, Quirion R,
Born W, Muff R, Fischer JA, and Foord SM. International Union
of Pharmacology. XXXII. The mammalian calcitonin gene-related
peptides, adrenomedullin, amylin, and calcitonin receptors. Pharmacol Rev 54: 233–246, 2002.
Preininger AM and Hamm HE. G protein signaling: insights from
new structures. Sci STKE 2004: re3, 2004.
Prentki M, Vischer S, Glennon MC, Regazzi R, Deeney JT, and
Corkey BE. Malonyl-CoA and long chain acyl-CoA esters as metabolic coupling factors in nutrient-induced insulin secretion. J Biol
Chem 267: 5802–5810, 1992.
Prescott SM, Zimmerman GA, Stafforini DM, and McIntyre
TM. Platelet-activating factor and related lipid mediators. Annu
Rev Biochem 69: 419 – 445, 2000.
Pulcinelli FM, Pesciotti M, Pignatelli P, Riondino S, and Gazzaniga PP. Concomitant activation of Gi and Gq protein-coupled
receptors does not require an increase in cytosolic calcium for
platelet aggregation. FEBS Lett 435: 115–118, 1998.
Qiu X, Kumbalasiri T, Carlson SM, Wong KY, Krishna V,
Provencio I, and Berson DM. Induction of photosensitivity by
heterologous expression of melanopsin. Nature 433: 745–749, 2005.
Radecki SV, Deaver DR, and Scanes CG. Triiodothyronine reduces growth hormone secretion and pituitary growth hormone
mRNA in the chicken, in vivo and in vitro. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med
205: 340 –346, 1994.
Radhika V, Onesime D, Ha JH, and Dhanasekaran N. Galpha13
stimulates cell migration through cortactin-interacting protein
Hax-1. J Biol Chem 279: 49406 – 49413, 2004.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
493. Offermanns S, Mancino V, Revel JP, and Simon MI. Vascular
system defects and impaired cell chemokinesis as a result of Galpha13 deficiency. Science 275: 533–536, 1997.
494. Offermanns S, Toombs CF, Hu YH, and Simon MI. Defective
platelet activation in G alpha(q)-deficient mice. Nature 389: 183–
186, 1997.
495. Offermanns S, Zhao LP, Gohla A, Sarosi I, Simon MI, and
Wilkie TM. Embryonic cardiomyocyte hypoplasia and craniofacial
defects in G alpha q/G alpha 11-mutant mice. EMBO J 17: 4304 –
4312, 1998.
496. Ohki-Hamazaki H. Neuromedin B. Prog Neurobiol 62: 297–312,
2000.
497. Ohman L, Franzen L, Rudolph U, Birnbaumer L, and Hornquist EH. Regression of Peyer’s patches in G alpha i2 deficient
mice prior to colitis is associated with reduced expression of Bcl-2
and increased apoptosis. Gut 51: 392–397, 2002.
498. Ohman L, Franzen L, Rudolph U, Harriman GR, and Hultgren
Hornquist E. Immune activation in the intestinal mucosa before
the onset of colitis in Galphai2-deficient mice. Scand J Immunol
52: 80 –90, 2000.
499. Oliveira-Dos-Santos AJ, Matsumoto G, Snow BE, Bai D,
Houston FP, Whishaw IQ, Mariathasan S, Sasaki T, Wakeham
A, Ohashi PS, Roder JC, Barnes CA, Siderovski DP, and Penninger JM. Regulation of T cell activation, anxiety, and male
aggression by RGS2. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97: 12272–12277,
2000.
500. Olson TS and Ley K. Chemokines and chemokine receptors in
leukocyte trafficking. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
283: R7–R28, 2002.
501. Oshikawa S, Tanoue A, Koshimizu TA, Kitagawa Y, and Tsujimoto G. Vasopressin stimulates insulin release from islet cells
through V1b receptors: a combined pharmacological/knockout approach. Mol Pharmacol 65: 623– 629, 2004.
502. O’Sullivan C, Barton CM, Staddon SL, Brown CL, and Lemoine NR. Activating point mutations of the gsp oncogene in
human thyroid adenomas. Mol Carcinog 4: 345–349, 1991.
503. Ozeki H, Kurihara Y, Tonami K, Watatani S, and Kurihara H.
Endothelin-1 regulates the dorsoventral branchial arch patterning
in mice. Mech Dev 121: 387–395, 2004.
504. Palczewski K, Kumasaka T, Hori T, Behnke CA, Motoshima H,
Fox BA, Le Trong I, Teller DC, Okada T, Stenkamp RE,
Yamamoto M, and Miyano M. Crystal structure of rhodopsin: a G
protein-coupled receptor. Science 289: 739 –745, 2000.
505. Panda S, Nayak SK, Campo B, Walker JR, Hogenesch JB, and
Jegla T. Illumination of the melanopsin signaling pathway. Science
307: 600 – 604, 2005.
506. Park JG, Bose A, Leszyk J, and Czech MP. PYK2 as a mediator
of endothelin-1/G alpha 11 signaling to GLUT4 glucose transporters. J Biol Chem 276: 47751– 47754, 2001.
507. Parma J, Duprez L, Van Sande J, Cochaux P, Gervy C, Mockel
J, Dumont J, and Vassart G. Somatic mutations in the thyrotropin receptor gene cause hyperfunctioning thyroid adenomas.
Nature 365: 649 – 651, 1993.
508. Paschke R and Ludgate M. The thyrotropin receptor in thyroid
diseases. N Engl J Med 337: 1675–1681, 1997.
509. Pasolli HA, Klemke M, Kehlenbach RH, Wang Y, and Huttner
WB. Characterization of the extra-large G protein alpha-subunit
XLalphas. I. Tissue distribution and subcellular localization. J Biol
Chem 275: 33622–33632, 2000.
510. Patel TB. Single transmembrane spanning heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors and their signaling cascades. Pharmacol
Rev 56: 371–385, 2004.
511. Patel YC. Somatostatin and its receptor family. Front Neuroendocrinol 20: 157–198, 1999.
512. Penn RB, Pascual RM, Kim YM, Mundell SJ, Krymskaya VP,
Panettieri RA Jr, and Benovic JL. Arrestin specificity for G
protein-coupled receptors in human airway smooth muscle. J Biol
Chem 276: 32648 –32656, 2001.
513. Pennefather JN, Lecci A, Candenas ML, Patak E, Pinto FM,
and Maggi CA. Tachykinins and tachykinin receptors: a growing
family. Life Sci 74: 1445–1463, 2004.
514. Persaud SJ, Jones PM, and Howell SL. Effects of Bordetella
pertussis toxin on catecholamine inhibition of insulin release from
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
556. Ruiz-Avila L, Wong GT, Damak S, and Margolskee RF. Dominant loss of responsiveness to sweet and bitter compounds caused
by a single mutation in alpha-gustducin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:
8868 – 8873, 2001.
557. Ruiz-Velasco V and Ikeda SR. Multiple G protein betagamma
combinations produce voltage-dependent inhibition of N-type calcium channels in rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. J Neurosci
20: 2183–2191, 2000.
558. Rutter GA. Nutrient-secretion coupling in the pancreatic islet
beta-cell: recent advances. Mol Aspects Med 22: 247–284, 2001.
559. Sabri A, Wilson BA, and Steinberg SF. Dual actions of the
Galpha(q) agonist Pasteurella multocida toxin to promote cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and enhance apoptosis susceptibility. Circ
Res 90: 850 – 857, 2002.
560. Sadoshima J and Izumo S. Molecular characterization of angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy of cardiac myocytes and hyperplasia
of cardiac fibroblasts. Critical role of the AT1 receptor subtype.
Circ Res 73: 413– 423, 1993.
561. Sadoshima J, Qiu Z, Morgan JP, and Izumo S. Angiotensin II
and other hypertrophic stimuli mediated by G protein-coupled
receptors activate tyrosine kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and 90-kD S6 kinase in cardiac myocytes. The critical role of
Ca(2⫹)-dependent signaling. Circ Res 76: 1–15, 1995.
562. Sah VP, Hoshijima M, Chien KR, and Brown JH. Rho is required
for Galphaq and alpha1-adrenergic receptor signaling in cardiomyocytes. Dissociation of Ras and Rho pathways. J Biol Chem 271:
31185–31190, 1996.
563. Sah VP, Seasholtz TM, Sagi SA, and Brown JH. The role of Rho
in G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 40: 459 – 489, 2000.
564. Sahai E and Marshall CJ. RHO-GTPases and cancer. Nat Rev
Cancer 2: 133–142, 2002.
565. Sakmar TP, Menon ST, Marin EP, and Awad ES. Rhodopsin:
insights from recent structural studies. Annu Rev Biophys Biomol
Struct 31: 443– 484, 2002.
566. Sasaki T, Irie-Sasaki J, Jones RG, Oliveira-dos-Santos AJ,
Stanford WL, Bolon B, Wakeham A, Itie A, Bouchard D, Kozieradzki I, Joza N, Mak TW, Ohashi PS, Suzuki A, and Penninger JM. Function of PI3Kgamma in thymocyte development, T
cell activation, and neutrophil migration. Science 287: 1040 –1046,
2000.
567. Satoh S, Ueda Y, Koyanagi M, Kadokami T, Sugano M, Yoshikawa Y, and Makino N. Chronic inhibition of Rho kinase
blunts the process of left ventricular hypertrophy leading to cardiac contractile dysfunction in hypertension-induced heart failure.
J Mol Cell Cardiol 35: 59 –70, 2003.
568. Savi P, Beauverger P, Labouret C, Delfaud M, Salel V, Kaghad
M, and Herbert JM. Role of P2Y1 purinoceptor in ADP-induced
platelet activation. FEBS Lett 422: 291–295, 1998.
569. Savi P, Pflieger AM, and Herbert JM. cAMP is not an important
messenger for ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Blood Coagul
Fibrinolysis 7: 249 –252, 1996.
570. Schoenwaelder SM, Hughan SC, Boniface K, Fernando S,
Holdsworth M, Thompson PE, Salem HH, and Jackson SP.
RhoA sustains integrin alpha IIbbeta 3 adhesion contacts under
high shear. J Biol Chem 277: 14738 –14746, 2002.
571. Scholich K, Mullenix JB, Wittpoth C, Poppleton HM, Pierre
SC, Lindorfer MA, Garrison JC, and Patel TB. Facilitation of
signal onset and termination by adenylyl cyclase. Science 283:
1328 –1331, 1999.
572. Schweda F and Kurtz A. Cellular mechanism of renin release.
Acta Physiol Scand 181: 383–390, 2004.
573. Schwindinger WF, Betz KS, Giger KE, Sabol A, Bronson SK,
and Robishaw JD. Loss of G protein gamma 7 alters behavior and
reduces striatal alpha(olf) level and cAMP production. J Biol Chem
278: 6575– 6579, 2003.
574. Schwindinger WF, Francomano CA, and Levine MA. Identification of a mutation in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the
stimulatory G protein of adenylyl cyclase in McCune-Albright syndrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89: 5152–5156, 1992.
575. Seminara SB, Messager S, Chatzidaki EE, Thresher RR,
Acierno JS Jr, Shagoury JK, Bo-Abbas Y, Kuohung W,
Schwinof KM, Hendrick AG, Zahn D, Dixon J, Kaiser UB,
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
533. Radu CG, Yang LV, Riedinger M, Au M, and Witte ON. T cell
chemotaxis to lysophosphatidylcholine through the G2A receptor.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101: 245–250, 2004.
534. Rana BK and Insel PA. G protein-coupled receptor websites.
Trends Pharmacol Sci 23: 535–536, 2002.
535. Rapacciuolo A, Esposito G, Prasad SV, and Rockman HA. G
protein-coupled receptor signalling in in vivo cardiac overload.
Acta Physiol Scand 173: 51–57, 2001.
536. Rasolonjanahary R, Gerard C, Dufour MN, Homburger V, Enjalbert A, and Guillon G. Evidence for a direct negative coupling
between dopamine-D2 receptors and PLC by heterotrimeric Gi1/2
proteins in rat anterior pituitary cell membranes. Endocrinology
143: 747–754, 2002.
537. Renstrom E, Eliasson L, Bokvist K, and Rorsman P. Cooling
inhibits exocytosis in single mouse pancreatic B-cells by suppression of granule mobilization. J Physiol 494: 41–52, 1996.
538. Rhee SG. Regulation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase
C. Annu Rev Biochem 70: 281–312, 2001.
539. Richardson SB, Laya T, and VanOoy M. Similarities between
hamster pancreatic islet beta (HIT) cell vasopressin receptors and
V1b receptors. J Endocrinol 147: 59 – 65, 1995.
540. Ridley AJ, Schwartz MA, Burridge K, Firtel RA, Ginsberg MH,
Borisy G, Parsons JT, and Horwitz AR. Cell migration: integrating signals from front to back. Science 302: 1704 –1709, 2003.
541. Riminucci M, Collins MT, Lala R, Corsi A, Matarazzo P, Gehron Robey P, and Bianco P. An R201H activating mutation of the
GNAS1 (Gsalpha) gene in a corticotroph pituitary adenoma. Mol
Pathol 55: 58 – 60, 2002.
542. Robertson RP, Seaquist ER, and Walseth TF. G proteins and
modulation of insulin secretion. Diabetes 40: 1– 6, 1991.
543. Robishaw JD. Specificity of G protein betagamma dimer signaling.
In: Handbook of Cell Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA and Dennis
EA. Boston, MA: Academic, 2004, p. 623– 629.
544. Rockman HA, Hamilton RA, Jones LR, Milano CA, Mao L, and
Lefkowitz RJ. Enhanced myocardial relaxation in vivo in transgenic mice overexpressing the beta2-adrenergic receptor is associated with reduced phospholamban protein. J Clin Invest 97: 1618 –
1623, 1996.
545. Rockman HA, Koch WJ, and Lefkowitz RJ. Seven-transmembrane-spanning receptors and heart function. Nature 415: 206 –212,
2002.
546. Rodesch F, Neve P, Willems C, and Dumont JE. Stimulation of
thyroid metabolism by thyrotropin, cyclic 3⬘:5⬘-AMP, dibutyryl cyclic 3⬘:5⬘-AMP and prostaglandin E1. Eur J Biochem 8: 26 –32, 1969.
547. Rogers JH, Tamirisa P, Kovacs A, Weinheimer C, Courtois M,
Blumer KJ, Kelly DP, and Muslin AJ. RGS4 causes increased
mortality and reduced cardiac hypertrophy in response to pressure
overload. J Clin Invest 104: 567–576, 1999.
548. Ronnett GV and Moon C. G proteins and olfactory signal transduction. Annu Rev Physiol 64: 189 –222, 2002.
549. Rosenfeldt H, Marinissen MJ, and Gutkind JS. G proteincoupled receptors, cell transformation, and signal fidelity. In:
Handbook of Cell Signaling, edited by Bradshaw RA and Dennis
EA. Boston, MA: Academic, 2003, p. 589 –599.
550. Ross EM and Wilkie TM. GTPase-activating proteins for heterotrimeric G proteins: regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) and
RGS-like proteins. Annu Rev Biochem 69: 795– 827, 2000.
551. Rozengurt E. Early signals in the mitogenic response. Science 234:
161–166, 1986.
552. Rudolph U, Finegold MJ, Rich SS, Harriman GR, Srinivasan Y,
Brabet P, Boulay G, Bradley A, and Birnbaumer L. Ulcerative
colitis and adenocarcinoma of the colon in G alpha i2-deficient
mice. Nat Genet 10: 143–150, 1995.
553. Ruest LB, Xiang X, Lim KC, Levi G, and Clouthier DE. Endothelin-A receptor-dependent and -independent signaling pathways
in establishing mandibular identity. Development 131: 4413– 4423,
2004.
554. Ruggeri ZM. Platelets in atherothrombosis. Nat Med 8: 1227–1234,
2002.
555. Ruiz CJ, Wray K, Delay E, Margolskee RF, and Kinnamon SC.
Behavioral evidence for a role of alpha-gustducin in glutamate
taste. Chem Senses 28: 573–579, 2003.
1199
1200
576.
577.
578.
579.
581.
582.
583.
584.
585.
586.
587.
588.
589.
590.
591.
592.
593.
594.
Slaugenhaupt SA, Gusella JF, O’Rahilly S, Carlton MB, Crowley WF Jr, Aparicio SA, and Colledge WH. The GPR54 gene as
a regulator of puberty. N Engl J Med 349: 1614 –1627, 2003.
Sharp GW. The adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP system in islets of
Langerhans and its role in the control of insulin release. Diabetologia 16: 287–296, 1979.
Shefcyk J, Yassin R, Volpi M, Molski TF, Naccache PH, Munoz
JJ, Becker EL, Feinstein MB, and Sha’afi RI. Pertussis but not
cholera toxin inhibits the stimulated increase in actin association
with the cytoskeleton in rabbit neutrophils: role of the “G proteins”
in stimulus-response coupling. Biochem Biophys Res Commun
126: 1174 –1181, 1985.
Shenker A, Laue L, Kosugi S, Merendino JJ Jr, Minegishi T,
and Cutler GB Jr. A constitutively activating mutation of the
luteinizing hormone receptor in familial male precocious puberty.
Nature 365: 652– 654, 1993.
Sherwood NM, Krueckl SL, and McRory JE. The origin and
function of the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide
(PACAP)/glucagon superfamily. Endocr Rev 21: 619 – 670, 2000.
Shimomura Y, Harada M, Goto M, Sugo T, Matsumoto Y, Abe
M, Watanabe T, Asami T, Kitada C, Mori M, Onda H, and
Fujino M. Identification of neuropeptide W as the endogenous
ligand for orphan G protein-coupled receptors GPR7 and GPR8.
J Biol Chem 277: 35826 –35832, 2002.
Shubeita HE, McDonough PM, Harris AN, Knowlton KU,
Glembotski CC, Brown JH, and Chien KR. Endothelin induction
of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis, sarcomere assembly, and cardiac gene expression in ventricular myocytes. A paracrine mechanism for myocardial cell hypertrophy. J Biol Chem 265: 20555–
20562, 1990.
Shulkes A and Baldwin GS. Biology of gut cholecystokinin and
gastrin receptors. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 24: 209 –216, 1997.
Shupnik MA, Weck J, and Hinkle PM. Thyrotropin (TSH)-releasing hormone stimulates TSH beta promoter activity by two distinct
mechanisms involving calcium influx through L type Ca2⫹ channels
and protein kinase C. Mol Endocrinol 10: 90 –99, 1996.
Siehler S and Manning DR. Pathways of transduction engaged by
sphingosine 1-phosphate through G protein-coupled receptors.
Biochim Biophys Acta 1582: 94 –99, 2002.
Siffert W. G protein polymorphisms in hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. Annu Rev Med 56: 17–28, 2005.
Siffert W, Rosskopf D, Siffert G, Busch S, Moritz A, Erbel R,
Sharma AM, Ritz E, Wichmann HE, Jakobs KH, and
Horsthemke B. Association of a human G protein beta3 subunit
variant with hypertension. Nat Genet 18: 45– 48, 1998.
Silverman BL, Kaplan SL, Grumbach MM, and Miller WL.
Hormonal regulation of growth hormone secretion and messenger
ribonucleic acid accumulation in cultured bovine pituitary cells.
Endocrinology 122: 1236 –1241, 1988.
Smith RG, Van der Ploeg LH, Howard AD, Feighner SD, Cheng
K, Hickey GJ, Wyvratt MJ Jr, Fisher MH, Nargund RP, and
Patchett AA. Peptidomimetic regulation of growth hormone secretion. Endocr Rev 18: 621– 645, 1997.
Smotrys JE and Linder ME. Regulation of G proteins by covalent
modification. In: Handbook of Cell Signaling, edited by Bradshaw
RA and Dennis EA. Boston, MA: Academic, 2004, p. 585–588.
Soede RD, Zeelenberg IS, Wijnands YM, Kamp M, and Roos E.
Stromal cell-derived factor-1-induced LFA-1 activation during in
vivo migration of T cell hybridoma cells requires Gq/11, RhoA, and
myosin, as well as Gi and Cdc42. J Immunol 166: 4293– 4301, 2001.
Soga T, Matsumoto S, Oda T, Saito T, Hiyama H, Takasaki J,
Kamohara M, Ohishi T, Matsushime H, and Furuichi K. Molecular cloning and characterization of prokineticin receptors. Biochim Biophys Acta 1579: 173–179, 2002.
Sokolovsky M. Functional coupling between endothelin receptors
and multiple G proteins in rat heart myocytes. Receptors Channels
1: 295–304, 1993.
Somlyo AP and Somlyo AV. Ca2⫹ sensitivity of smooth muscle
and nonmuscle myosin II: modulated by G proteins, kinases, and
myosin phosphatase. Physiol Rev 83: 1325–1358, 2003.
Somlyo AP and Somlyo AV. Signal transduction by G proteins,
rho-kinase and protein phosphatase to smooth muscle and nonmuscle myosin II. J Physiol 522: 177–185, 2000.
Physiol Rev • VOL
595. Sommermeyer H, Schwinzer R, Kaever V, and Resch K. Cholera toxin-mediated inhibition of signalling in Jurkat cells is followed by, but not due to a loss of T cell receptor complex. Immunobiology 182: 266 –276, 1991.
596. Song X, Zheng X, Malbon CC, and Wang H. Galpha i2 enhances
in vivo activation of and insulin signaling to GLUT4. J Biol Chem
276: 34651–34658, 2001.
597. Spangrude GJ, Braaten BA, and Daynes RA. Molecular mechanisms of lymphocyte extravasation. I. Studies of two selective
inhibitors of lymphocyte recirculation. J Immunol 132: 354 –362,
1984.
598. Spangrude GJ, Sacchi F, Hill HR, Van Epps DE, and Daynes
RA. Inhibition of lymphocyte and neutrophil chemotaxis by pertussis toxin. J Immunol 135: 4135– 4143, 1985.
599. Spiegel AM and Weinstein LS. Inherited diseases involving G
proteins and G protein-coupled receptors. Annu Rev Med 55: 27–39,
2004.
600. Spitzbarth-Regrigny E, Petitcolin MA, Bueb JL, Tschirhart
EJ, Atkinson J, and Capdeville-Atkinson C. Pertussis toxinsensitive G(i)-proteins and intracellular calcium sensitivity of vasoconstriction in the intact rat tail artery. Br J Pharmacol 131:
1337–1344, 2000.
601. Stanfield PR, Nakajima S, and Nakajima Y. Constitutively active
and G protein coupled inward rectifier K⫹ channels: Kir2.0 and
Kir3.0. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 145: 47–179, 2002.
602. Stanley EF and Mirotznik RR. Cleavage of syntaxin prevents G
protein regulation of presynaptic calcium channels. Nature 385:
340 –343, 1997.
603. Stanners J, Kabouridis PS, McGuire KL, and Tsoukas CD.
Interaction between G proteins and tyrosine kinases upon T cell
receptor. CD3-mediated signaling. J Biol Chem 270: 30635–30642,
1995.
604. Stork PJ and Schmitt JM. Crosstalk between cAMP and MAP
kinase signaling in the regulation of cell proliferation. Trends Cell
Biol 12: 258 –266, 2002.
605. Stowers L, Holy TE, Meister M, Dulac C, and Koentges G. Loss
of sex discrimination and male-male aggression in mice deficient
for TRP2. Science 295: 1493–1500, 2002.
606. Stralfors P, Bjorgell P, and Belfrage P. Hormonal regulation of
hormone-sensitive lipase in intact adipocytes: identification of
phosphorylated sites and effects on the phosphorylation by lipolytic hormones and insulin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81: 3317–3321,
1984.
607. Strathmann M and Simon MI. G protein diversity: a distinct class
of alpha subunits is present in vertebrates and invertebrates. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA 87: 9113–9117, 1990.
608. Straub SG and Sharp GW. Glucose-dependent insulinotropic
polypeptide stimulates insulin secretion via increased cyclic AMP
and [Ca2⫹]i and a wortmannin-sensitive signalling pathway. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 224: 369 –374, 1996.
609. Straub SG and Sharp GW. A wortmannin-sensitive signal transduction pathway is involved in the stimulation of insulin release by
vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and pituitary adenylate cyclaseactivating polypeptide. J Biol Chem 271: 1660 –1668, 1996.
610. Su SB, Silver PB, Wang P, Chan CC, and Caspi RR. Cholera
toxin prevents Th1-mediated autoimmune disease by inducing immune deviation. J Immunol 173: 755–761, 2004.
611. Suarez HG, du Villard JA, Caillou B, Schlumberger M, Parmentier C, and Monier R. Gsp mutations in human thyroid tumours. Oncogene 6: 677– 679, 1991.
612. Sugimoto N, Takuwa N, Okamoto H, Sakurada S, and Takuwa
Y. Inhibitory and stimulatory regulation of Rac and cell motility by
the G12/13-Rho and Gi pathways integrated downstream of a single
G protein-coupled sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor isoform. Mol
Cell Biol 23: 1534 –1545, 2003.
613. Sun B, Fujiwara K, Adachi S, and Inoue K. Physiological roles
of prolactin-releasing peptide. Regul Pept 126: 27–33, 2005.
614. Sun Y, Lu X, and Gershengorn MC. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors: similarities and differences. J Mol Endocrinol 30:
87–97, 2003.
615. Sunahara RK, Dessauer CW, and Gilman AG. Complexity and
diversity of mammalian adenylyl cyclases. Annu Rev Pharmacol
Toxicol 36: 461– 480, 1996.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
580.
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
634. Tunaru S, Kero J, Schaub A, Wufka C, Blaukat A, Pfeffer K,
and Offermanns S. PUMA-G and HM74 are receptors for nicotinic
acid and mediate its anti-lipolytic effect. Nat Med 9: 352–355, 2003.
635. Uechi M, Asai K, Osaka M, Smith A, Sato N, Wagner TE,
Ishikawa Y, Hayakawa H, Vatner DE, Shannon RP, Homcy CJ,
and Vatner SF. Depressed heart rate variability and arterial
baroreflex in conscious transgenic mice with overexpression of
cardiac Gsalpha. Circ Res 82: 416 – 423, 1998.
636. Uehata M, Ishizaki T, Satoh H, Ono T, Kawahara T, Morishita
T, Tamakawa H, Yamagami K, Inui J, Maekawa M, and Narumiya S. Calcium sensitization of smooth muscle mediated by a
Rho-associated protein kinase in hypertension. Nature 389: 990 –
994, 1997.
637. Usui I, Imamura T, Satoh H, Huang J, Babendure JL, Hupfeld
CJ, and Olefsky JM. GRK2 is an endogenous protein inhibitor of
the insulin signaling pathway for glucose transport stimulation.
EMBO J 23: 2821–2829, 2004.
638. Vaiskunaite R, Adarichev V, Furthmayr H, Kozasa T, Gudkov
A, and Voyno-Yasenetskaya TA. Conformational activation of
radixin by G13 protein alpha subunit. J Biol Chem 275: 26206 –
26212, 2000.
639. Valenzuela D, Han X, Mende U, Fankhauser C, Mashimo H,
Huang P, Pfeffer J, Neer EJ, and Fishman MC. G alpha(o) is
necessary for muscarinic regulation of Ca2⫹ channels in mouse
heart. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94: 1727–1732, 1997.
640. Van Biesen T, Luttrell LM, Hawes BE, and Lefkowitz RJ.
Mitogenic signaling via G protein-coupled receptors. Endocr Rev
17: 698 –714, 1996.
641. Vanhaesebroeck B, Leevers SJ, Ahmadi K, Timms J, Katso R,
Driscoll PC, Woscholski R, Parker PJ, and Waterfield MD.
Synthesis and function of 3-phosphorylated inositol lipids. Annu
Rev Biochem 70: 535– 602, 2001.
642. Van Raamsdonk CD, Fitch KR, Fuchs H, de Angelis MH, and
Barsh GS. Effects of G protein mutations on skin color. Nat Genet
36: 961–968, 2004.
643. Van Sande J, Parma J, Tonacchera M, Swillens S, Dumont J,
and Vassart G. Somatic and germline mutations of the TSH receptor gene in thyroid diseases. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 80: 2577–
2585, 1995.
644. Van Sande J, Raspe E, Perret J, Lejeune C, Maenhaut C,
Vassart G, and Dumont JE. Thyrotropin activates both the cyclic
AMP and the PIP2 cascades in CHO cells expressing the human
cDNA of TSH receptor. Mol Cell Endocrinol 74: R1–R6, 1990.
645. Vara Prasad MV, Shore SK, and Dhanasekaran N. Activated
mutant of G alpha 13 induces Egr-1, c-fos, and transformation in
NIH 3T3 cells. Oncogene 9: 2425–2429, 1994.
646. Varga G, Adrian TE, Coy DH, and Reidelberger RD. Bombesin
receptor subtype mediation of gastroenteropancreatic hormone
secretion in rats. Peptides 15: 713–718, 1994.
647. Vasilatos-Younken R, Tsao PH, Foster DN, Smiley DL, Bryant
H, and Heiman ML. Restoration of juvenile baseline growth hormone secretion with preservation of the ultradian growth hormone
rhythm by continuous delivery of growth hormone-releasing factor.
J Endocrinol 135: 371–382, 1992.
648. Vassart G, Pardo L, and Costagliola S. A molecular dissection of
the glycoprotein hormone receptors. Trends Biochem Sci 29: 119 –
126, 2004.
649. Vassilatis DK, Hohmann JG, Zeng H, Li F, Ranchalis JE,
Mortrud MT, Brown A, Rodriguez SS, Weller JR, Wright AC,
Bergmann JE, and Gaitanaris GA. The G protein-coupled receptor repertoires of human and mouse. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:
4903– 4908, 2003.
650. Vatner DE, Asai K, Iwase M, Ishikawa Y, Wagner TE, Shannon
RP, Homcy CJ, and Vatner SF. Overexpression of myocardial
Gsalpha prevents full expression of catecholamine desensitization
despite increased beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. J Clin Invest
101: 1916 –1922, 1998.
651. Vaudry D, Gonzalez BJ, Basille M, Yon L, Fournier A, and
Vaudry H. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide and
its receptors: from structure to functions. Pharmacol Rev 52: 269 –
324, 2000.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
616. Suwazono Y, Okubo Y, Kobayashi E, Miura K, Morikawa Y,
Ishizaki M, Kido T, Nakagawa H, and Nogawa K. Lack of
association between human G protein beta3 subunit variant and
overweight in Japanese workers. Obes Res 12: 4 – 8, 2004.
617. Suwazono Y, Okubo Y, Kobayashi E, Miura K, Morikawa Y,
Ishizaki M, Kido T, Nakagawa H, and Nogawa K. Lack of
association of human G protein beta 3 subunit variant with hypertension in Japanese workers. J Hypertens 22: 493–500, 2004.
618. Suzuki N, Nakamura S, Mano H, and Kozasa T. Galpha 12
activates Rho GTPase through tyrosine-phosphorylated leukemiaassociated RhoGEF. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100: 733–738, 2003.
619. Swaroop A, Agarwal N, Gruen JR, Bick D, and Weissman SM.
Differential expression of novel Gs alpha signal transduction protein cDNA species. Nucleic Acids Res 19: 4725– 4729, 1991.
620. Swennen L, Baes M, and Denef C. Beta-adrenergic stimulation of
adenosine-3⬘,5⬘-monophosphate (c-AMP) accumulation and of prolactin and growth hormone secretion in rat anterior pituitary cell
cultures. Neuroendocrinology 40: 72–77, 1985.
621. Takechi H, Eilers J, and Konnerth A. A new class of synaptic
response involving calcium release in dendritic spines. Nature 396:
757–760, 1998.
622. Tanaka J, Nakagawa S, Kushiya E, Yamasaki M, Fukaya M,
Iwanaga T, Simon MI, Sakimura K, Kano M, and Watanabe M.
Gq protein alpha subunits Galphaq and Galpha11 are localized at
postsynaptic extra-junctional membrane of cerebellar Purkinje
cells and hippocampal pyramidal cells. Eur J Neurosci 12: 781–792,
2000.
623. Tanaka M, Treloar H, Kalb RG, Greer CA, and Strittmatter
SM. G(o) protein-dependent survival of primary accessory olfactory neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96: 14106 –14111, 1999.
624. Tanaka Y, Yamaki F, Koike K, and Toro L. New insights into the
intracellular mechanisms by which PGI2 analogues elicit vascular
relaxation: cyclic AMP-independent, Gs-protein mediated-activation of MaxiK channel. Curr Med Chem Cardiovasc Hematol
Agents 2: 257–265, 2004.
625. Tang KM, Wang GR, Lu P, Karas RH, Aronovitz M, Heximer
SP, Kaltenbronn KM, Blumer KJ, Siderovski DP, Zhu Y, and
Mendelsohn ME. Regulator of G protein signaling-2 mediates
vascular smooth muscle relaxation and blood pressure. Nat Med 9:
1506 –1512, 2003.
626. Tao J, Malbon CC, and Wang HY. Galpha(i2) enhances insulin
signaling via suppression of protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B.
J Biol Chem 276: 39705–39712, 2001.
627. Tatemoto K, Hosoya M, Habata Y, Fujii R, Kakegawa T, Zou
MX, Kawamata Y, Fukusumi S, Hinuma S, Kitada C, Kurokawa T, Onda H, and Fujino M. Isolation and characterization of
a novel endogenous peptide ligand for the human APJ receptor.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 251: 471– 476, 1998.
628. Thirstrup S. Control of airway smooth muscle tone. II. Pharmacology of relaxation. Respir Med 94: 519 –528, 2000.
629. Thomas T, Kurihara H, Yamagishi H, Kurihara Y, Yazaki Y,
Olson EN, and Srivastava D. A signaling cascade involving endothelin-1, dHAND and msx1 regulates development of neuralcrest-derived branchial arch mesenchyme. Development 125: 3005–
3014, 1998.
630. Tomasic M, Boyle JP, Worley JF III, and Kotlikoff MI. Contractile agonists activate voltage-dependent calcium channels in
airway smooth muscle cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 263: C106 –
C113, 1992.
631. Tominaga T, Sugie K, Hirata M, Morii N, Fukata J, Uchida A,
Imura H, and Narumiya S. Inhibition of PMA-induced, LFA-1dependent lymphocyte aggregation by ADP ribosylation of the
small molecular weight GTP binding protein, rho. J Cell Biol 120:
1529 –1537, 1993.
632. Tordjman K, Stern N, Ouaknine G, Yossiphov Y, Razon N,
Nordenskjold M, and Friedman E. Activating mutations of the
Gs alpha-gene in nonfunctioning pituitary tumors. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 77: 765–769, 1993.
633. Tse FW, Tse A, Hille B, Horstmann H, and Almers W. Local
Ca2⫹ release from internal stores controls exocytosis in pituitary
gonadotrophs. Neuron 18: 121–132, 1997.
1201
1202
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
Physiol Rev • VOL
673.
674.
675.
676.
677.
678.
679.
680.
681.
682.
683.
684.
685.
686.
687.
688.
689.
690.
691.
692.
693.
694.
guanine-nucleotide exchange factor for Rac. Cell 108: 809 – 821,
2002.
Wellendorph P, Hansen KB, Balsgaard A, Greenwood JR,
Egebjerg J, and Brauner-Osborne H. Deorphanization of
GPRC6A: a promiscuous L-alpha-amino acid receptor with preference for basic amino acids. Mol Pharmacol 67: 589 –597, 2005.
Wess J. Molecular basis of receptor/G protein-coupling selectivity.
Pharmacol Ther 80: 231–264, 1998.
Wess J. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor knockout mice: novel
phenotypes and clinical implications. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol
44: 423– 450, 2004.
Wettschureck N, Moers A, Wallenwein B, Parlow AF, MaserGluth C, and Offermanns S. Loss of Gq/11-family G proteins in
the nervous system causes pituitary somatotroph hypoplasia and
dwarfism in mice. Mol Cell Biol 25: 1942–1948, 2005.
Wettschureck N, Rutten H, Zywietz A, Gehring D, Wilkie TM,
Chen J, Chien KR, and Offermanns S. Absence of pressure
overload induced myocardial hypertrophy after conditional inactivation of Galphaq/Galpha11 in cardiomyocytes. Nat Med 7: 1236 –
1240, 2001.
Whalen MM and Bankhurst AD. Effects of beta-adrenergic receptor activation, cholera toxin and forskolin on human natural
killer cell function. Biochem J 272: 327–331, 1990.
Wickman K and Clapham DE. Ion channel regulation by G proteins. Physiol Rev 75: 865– 885, 1995.
Wickman K, Nemec J, Gendler SJ, and Clapham DE. Abnormal
heart rate regulation in GIRK4 knockout mice. Neuron 20: 103–114,
1998.
Wickman KD, Iniguez-Lluhl JA, Davenport PA, Taussig R,
Krapivinsky GB, Linder ME, Gilman AG, and Clapham DE.
Recombinant G protein beta gamma-subunits activate the muscarinic-gated atrial potassium channel. Nature 368: 255–257, 1994.
Wikberg JE. Melanocortin receptors: perspectives for novel drugs.
Eur J Pharmacol 375: 295–310, 1999.
Wilkie TM, Scherle PA, Strathmann MP, Slepak VZ, and Simon MI. Characterization of G protein alpha subunits in the Gq
class: expression in murine tissues and in stromal and hematopoietic cell lines. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88: 10049 –10053, 1991.
Willard FS, Kimple RJ, and Siderovski DP. Return of the GDI:
the GoLoco motif in cell division. Annu Rev Biochem 73: 925–951,
2004.
Williamson EA, Daniels M, Foster S, Kelly WF, Kendall-Taylor P, and Harris PE. Gs alpha and Gi2 alpha mutations in
clinically non-functioning pituitary tumours. Clin Endocrinol 41:
815– 820, 1994.
Williamson EA, Ince PG, Harrison D, Kendall-Taylor P, and
Harris PE. G protein mutations in human pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone-secreting adenomas. Eur J Clin Invest 25: 128 –
131, 1995.
Wilson AD, Bailey M, Williams NA, and Stokes CR. The in vitro
production of cytokines by mucosal lymphocytes immunized by
oral administration of keyhole limpet hemocyanin using cholera
toxin as an adjuvant. Eur J Immunol 21: 2333–2339, 1991.
Wise A, Jupe SC, and Rees S. The identification of ligands at
orphan G protein coupled receptors. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol
44: 43– 66, 2004.
Witherow DS and Slepak VZ. A novel kind of G protein heterodimer: the G beta5-RGS complex. Receptors Channels 9: 205–
212, 2003.
Witte ON, Kabarowski JH, Xu Y, Le LQ, and Zhu K. Retraction.
Science 307: 206, 2005.
Wollheim CB and Sharp GW. Regulation of insulin release by
calcium. Physiol Rev 61: 914 –973, 1981.
Wong GT, Gannon KS, and Margolskee RF. Transduction of
bitter and sweet taste by gustducin. Nature 381: 796 – 800, 1996.
Wong ST, Trinh K, Hacker B, Chan GC, Lowe G, Gaggar A, Xia
Z, Gold GH, and Storm DR. Disruption of the type III adenylyl
cyclase gene leads to peripheral and behavioral anosmia in transgenic mice. Neuron 27: 487– 497, 2000.
Worthylake RA and Burridge K. Leukocyte transendothelial migration: orchestrating the underlying molecular machinery. Curr
Opin Cell Biol 13: 569 –577, 2001.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
652. Verspohl EJ and Herrmann K. Involvement of G proteins in the
effect of carbachol and cholecystokinin in rat pancreatic islets.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 271: E65–E72, 1996.
653. Vicente-Manzanares M and Sanchez-Madrid F. Role of the
cytoskeleton during leukocyte responses. Nat Rev Immunol 4:
110 –122, 2004.
654. Vincent JP, Mazella J, and Kitabgi P. Neurotensin and neurotensin receptors. Trends Pharmacol Sci 20: 302–309, 1999.
655. Voyno-Yasenetskaya TA, Pace AM, and Bourne HR. Mutant
alpha subunits of G12 and G13 proteins induce neoplastic transformation of Rat-1 fibroblasts. Oncogene 9: 2559 –2565, 1994.
656. Wakasaki H, Koya D, Schoen FJ, Jirousek MR, Ways DK, Hoit
BD, Walsh RA, and King GL. Targeted overexpression of protein
kinase C beta2 isoform in myocardium causes cardiomyopathy.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94: 9320 –9325, 1997.
657. Walker MW and Smith KE. Galanin receptors. In: Encyclopedic
Reference of Molecular Pharmacology, edited by Offermanns S and
Rosenthal W. Berlin: Springer, 2004, p. 378 –383.
658. Wang JQ, Kon J, Mogi C, Tobo M, Damirin A, Sato K, Komachi
M, Malchinkhuu E, Murata N, Kimura T, Kuwabara A, Wakamatsu K, Koizumi H, Uede T, Tsujimoto G, Kurose H, Sato T,
Harada A, Misawa N, Tomura H, and Okajima F. TDAG8 is a
proton-sensing and psychosine-sensitive G protein-coupled receptor. J Biol Chem 279: 45626 – 45633, 2004.
659. Wang L, Knudsen E, Jin Y, Gessani S, and Maghazachi AA.
Lysophospholipids and chemokines activate distinct signal transduction pathways in T helper 1 and T helper 2 cells. Cell Signal 16:
991–1000, 2004.
660. Wange RL, Smrcka AV, Sternweis PC, and Exton JH. Photoaffinity labeling of two rat liver plasma membrane proteins with
[32P]gamma-azidoanilido GTP in response to vasopressin. Immunologic identification as alpha subunits of the Gq class of G proteins.
J Biol Chem 266: 11409 –11412, 1991.
661. Ward DT. Calcium receptor-mediated intracellular signalling. Cell
Calcium 35: 217–228, 2004.
662. Warnock RA, Askari S, Butcher EC, and von Andrian UH.
Molecular mechanisms of lymphocyte homing to peripheral lymph
nodes. J Exp Med 187: 205–216, 1998.
663. Warnotte C, Gilon P, Nenquin M, and Henquin JC. Mechanisms of the stimulation of insulin release by saturated fatty acids.
A study of palmitate effects in mouse beta-cells. Diabetes 43:
703–711, 1994.
664. Watanabe M, Nakamura M, Sato K, Kano M, Simon MI, and
Inoue Y. Patterns of expression for the mRNA corresponding to
the four isoforms of phospholipase Cbeta in mouse brain. Eur
J Neurosci 10: 2016 –2025, 1998.
665. Watson RT, Kanzaki M, and Pessin JE. Regulated membrane
trafficking of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter 4 in adipocytes. Endocr Rev 25: 177–204, 2004.
666. Watson SP, Asazuma N, Atkinson B, Berlanga O, Best D, Bobe
R, Jarvis G, Marshall S, Snell D, Stafford M, Tulasne D, Wilde
J, Wonerow P, and Frampton J. The role of ITAM- and ITIMcoupled receptors in platelet activation by collagen. Thromb Haemost 86: 276 –288, 2001.
667. Weinstein LS. Other skeletal diseases resulting from G protein
defects, fibrous dysplasia and McCune-Albright syndrome. In: Principles of Bone Biology (2nd ed.), edited by Bilezikian JP and Raisz
LG. San Diego, CA: Academic, 2002, p. 1165–1176.
668. Weinstein LS, Liu J, Sakamoto A, Xie T, and Chen M. Minireview: GNAS: normal and abnormal functions. Endocrinology 145:
5459 –5464, 2004.
669. Weinstein LS, Yu S, Warner DR, and Liu J. Endocrine manifestations of stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit mutations and the
role of genomic imprinting. Endocr Rev 22: 675–705, 2001.
670. Weisman Y, Golander A, Spirer Z, and Farfel Z. Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a presenting as congenital hypothyroidism.
J Pediatr 107: 413– 415, 1985.
671. Weissmann G, Dukor P, and Zurier RB. Effect of cyclic AMP on
release of lysosomal enzymes from phagocytes. Nat New Biol 231:
131–135, 1971.
672. Welch HC, Coadwell WJ, Ellson CD, Ferguson GJ, Andrews
SR, Erdjument-Bromage H, Tempst P, Hawkins PT, and Stephens LR. P-Rex1, a PtdIns(3,4,5)P3- and Gbetagamma-regulated
CELLULAR FUNCTIONS OF G PROTEINS
Physiol Rev • VOL
713.
714.
715.
716.
717.
718.
719.
720.
721.
722.
723.
724.
725.
726.
727.
728.
729.
730.
731.
platelets. Redundancy and specificity in the regulation of adenylyl
cyclase and other effectors. J Biol Chem 277: 46035– 46042, 2002.
Yang J, Wu J, Kowalska MA, Dalvi A, Prevost N, O’Brien PJ,
Manning D, Poncz M, Lucki I, Blendy JA, and Brass LF. Loss
of signaling through the G protein, Gz, results in abnormal platelet
activation and altered responses to psychoactive drugs. Proc Natl
Acad Sci USA 97: 9984 –9989, 2000.
Yang JM, Cho CH, Kong KA, Jang IS, Kim HW, and Juhnn YS.
Increased expression of Galphaq protein in the heart of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Exp Mol Med 31: 179 –184, 1999.
Yang LV, Radu CG, Wang L, Riedinger M, and Witte ON.
Gi-independent macrophage chemotaxis to lysophosphatidylcholine via the immunoregulatory GPCR G2A. Blood 105: 1127–1134,
2005.
Yang M, Sang H, Rahman A, Wu D, Malik AB, and Ye RD. G
alpha 16 couples chemoattractant receptors to NF-kappa B activation. J Immunol 166: 6885– 6892, 2001.
Yarfitz S and Hurley JB. Transduction mechanisms of vertebrate
and invertebrate photoreceptors. J Biol Chem 269: 14329 –14332,
1994.
Yatani A, Codina J, Brown AM, and Birnbaumer L. Direct
activation of mammalian atrial muscarinic potassium channels by
GTP regulatory protein Gk. Science 235: 207–211, 1987.
Yokoro S, Matsuo M, Ohtsuka T, and Ohzeki T. Hyperthyrotropinemia in a neonate with normal thyroid hormone levels: the
earliest diagnostic clue for pseudohypoparathyroidism. Biol Neonate 58: 69 –72, 1990.
Yu R and Hinkle PM. Signal transduction and hormone-dependent
internalization of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor in
cells lacking Gq and G11. J Biol Chem 274: 15745–15750, 1999.
Yu S, Castle A, Chen M, Lee R, Takeda K, and Weinstein LS.
Increased insulin sensitivity in Gsalpha knockout mice. J Biol
Chem 276: 19994 –19998, 2001.
Yu S, Gavrilova O, Chen H, Lee R, Liu J, Pacak K, Parlow AF,
Quon MJ, Reitman ML, and Weinstein LS. Paternal versus
maternal transmission of a stimulatory G protein alpha subunit
knockout produces opposite effects on energy metabolism. J Clin
Invest 105: 615– 623, 2000.
Yu S, Yu D, Lee E, Eckhaus M, Lee R, Corria Z, Accili D,
Westphal H, and Weinstein LS. Variable and tissue-specific hormone resistance in heterotrimeric Gs protein alpha-subunit (Gsalpha) knockout mice is due to tissue-specific imprinting of the
gsalpha gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95: 8715– 8720, 1998.
Yu SM, Tsai SY, Guh JH, Ko FN, Teng CM, and Ou JT. Mechanism of catecholamine-induced proliferation of vascular smooth
muscle cells. Circulation 94: 547–554, 1996.
Zaugg M, Xu W, Lucchinetti E, Shafiq SA, Jamali NZ, and
Siddiqui MA. Beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes differentially affect apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocytes. Circulation 102:
344 –350, 2000.
Zawalich WS, Zawalich KC, and Rasmussen H. Cholinergic
agonists prime the beta-cell to glucose stimulation. Endocrinology
125: 2400 –2406, 1989.
Zeiger MA, Saji M, Gusev Y, Westra WH, Takiyama Y, Dooley
WC, Kohn LD, and Levine MA. Thyroid-specific expression of
cholera toxin A1 subunit causes thyroid hyperplasia and hyperthyroidism in transgenic mice. Endocrinology 138: 3133–3140, 1997.
Zhang FL and Casey PJ. Protein prenylation: molecular mechanisms and functional consequences. Annu Rev Biochem 65: 241–
269, 1996.
Zhang Y, Hoon MA, Chandrashekar J, Mueller KL, Cook B,
Wu D, Zuker CS, and Ryba NJ. Coding of sweet, bitter, and
umami tastes: different receptor cells sharing similar signaling
pathways. Cell 112: 293–301, 2003.
Zhao GQ, Zhang Y, Hoon MA, Chandrashekar J, Erlenbach I,
Ryba NJ, and Zuker CS. The receptors for mammalian sweet and
umami taste. Cell 115: 255–266, 2003.
Zheng C, Feinstein P, Bozza T, Rodriguez I, and Mombaerts P.
Peripheral olfactory projections are differentially affected in mice
deficient in a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit. Neuron 26:
81–91, 2000.
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
695. Wu D, Huang CK, and Jiang H. Roles of phospholipid signaling in
chemoattractant-induced responses. J Cell Sci 113: 2935–2940,
2000.
696. Wu D, Katz A, Lee CH, and Simon MI. Activation of phospholipase C by alpha 1-adrenergic receptors is mediated by the alpha
subunits of Gq family. J Biol Chem 267: 25798 –25802, 1992.
697. Wu WI, Schwindinger WF, Aparicio LF, and Levine MA. Selective resistance to parathyroid hormone caused by a novel uncoupling mutation in the carboxyl terminus of G alpha(s). A cause of
pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib. J Biol Chem 276: 165–171,
2001.
698. Wu-Wong JR, Berg CE, Wang J, Chiou WJ, and Fissel B.
Endothelin stimulates glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation via
activation of endothelin ETA receptor in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. J Biol
Chem 274: 8103– 8110, 1999.
699. Wymann MP, Sozzani S, Altruda F, Mantovani A, and Hirsch
E. Lipids on the move: phosphoinositide 3-kinases in leukocyte
function. Immunol Today 21: 260 –264, 2000.
700. Xiao RP, Avdonin P, Zhou YY, Cheng H, Akhter SA, Eschenhagen T, Lefkowitz RJ, Koch WJ, and Lakatta EG. Coupling of
beta2-adrenoceptor to Gi proteins and its physiological relevance
in murine cardiac myocytes. Circ Res 84: 43–52, 1999.
701. Xiao RP, Ji X, and Lakatta EG. Functional coupling of the beta
2-adrenoceptor to a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein in cardiac
myocytes. Mol Pharmacol 47: 322–329, 1995.
702. Xu J, Wang F, Van Keymeulen A, Herzmark P, Straight A,
Kelly K, Takuwa Y, Sugimoto N, Mitchison T, and Bourne HR.
Divergent signals and cytoskeletal assemblies regulate self-organizing polarity in neutrophils. Cell 114: 201–214, 2003.
703. Xu M, Moratalla R, Gold LH, Hiroi N, Koob GF, Graybiel AM,
and Tonegawa S. Dopamine D1 receptor mutant mice are deficient in striatal expression of dynorphin and in dopamine-mediated
behavioral responses. Cell 79: 729 –742, 1994.
704. Xu N, Bradley L, Ambdukar I, and Gutkind JS. A mutant alpha
subunit of G12 potentiates the eicosanoid pathway and is highly
oncogenic in NIH 3T3 cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90: 6741– 6745,
1993.
705. Xu X, Croy JT, Zeng W, Zhao L, Davignon I, Popov S, Yu K,
Jiang H, Offermanns S, Muallem S, and Wilkie TM. Promiscuous coupling of receptors to Gq class alpha subunits and effector
proteins in pancreatic and submandibular gland cells. J Biol Chem
273: 27275–27279, 1998.
706. Xu Y, Zhu K, Hong G, Wu W, Baudhuin LM, Xiao Y, and
Damron DS. Sphingosylphosphorylcholine is a ligand for ovarian cancer G protein-coupled receptor 1. Nat Cell Biol 2: 261–
267, 2000.
707. Xu-Amano J, Kiyono H, Jackson RJ, Staats HF, Fujihashi K,
Burrows PD, Elson CO, Pillai S, and McGhee JR. Helper T cell
subsets for immunoglobulin A responses: oral immunization with
tetanus toxoid and cholera toxin as adjuvant selectively induces
Th2 cells in mucosa associated tissues. J Exp Med 178: 1309 –1320,
1993.
708. Yamada M, Ho YK, Lee RH, Kontanill K, Takahashill K, Katadall T, and Kurachi Y. Muscarinic K⫹ channels are activated by
beta gamma subunits and inhibited by the GDP-bound form of
alpha subunit of transducin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 200:
1484 –1490, 1994.
709. Yamaguchi Y, Katoh H, Mori K, and Negishi M. Galpha(12) and
Galpha(13) interact with Ser/Thr protein phosphatase type 5 and
stimulate its phosphatase activity. Curr Biol 12: 1353–1358, 2002.
710. Yanagisawa H, Yanagisawa M, Kapur RP, Richardson JA, Williams SC, Clouthier DE, de Wit D, Emoto N, and Hammer RE.
Dual genetic pathways of endothelin-mediated intercellular signaling revealed by targeted disruption of endothelin converting enzyme-1 gene. Development 125: 825– 836, 1998.
711. Yang GC, Yao JL, Feiner HD, Roses DF, Kumar A, and Mulder
JE. Lipid-rich follicular carcinoma of the thyroid in a patient with
McCune-Albright syndrome. Mod Pathol 12: 969 –973, 1999.
712. Yang J, Wu J, Jiang H, Mortensen R, Austin S, Manning DR,
Woulfe D, and Brass LF. Signaling through Gi family members in
1203
1204
NINA WETTSCHURECK AND STEFAN OFFERMANNS
732. Zheng XL, Guo J, Wang H, and Malbon CC. Expression of
constitutively activated Gialpha2 in vivo ameliorates streptozotocin-induced diabetes. J Biol Chem 273: 23649 –23651, 1998.
733. Zheng Y. Dbl family guanine nucleotide exchange factors. Trends
Biochem Sci 26: 724 –732, 2001.
734. Zhou J, Stanners J, Kabouridis P, Han H, and Tsoukas CD.
Inhibition of TCR/CD3-mediated signaling by a mutant of the hematopoietically expressed G16 GTP-binding protein. Eur J Immunol 28: 1645–1655, 1998.
735. Zhu K, Baudhuin LM, Hong G, Williams FS, Cristina KL,
Kabarowski JH, Witte ON, and Xu Y. Sphingosylphosphoryl-
choline and lysophosphatidylcholine are ligands for the G protein-coupled receptor GPR4. J Biol Chem 276: 41325– 41335,
2001.
736. Zhu WZ, Zheng M, Koch WJ, Lefkowitz RJ, Kobilka BK, and
Xiao RP. Dual modulation of cell survival and cell death by
beta(2)-adrenergic signaling in adult mouse cardiac myocytes. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA 98: 1607–1612, 2001.
737. Zhuang X, Belluscio L, and Hen R. G(olf)alpha mediates dopamine D1 receptor signaling. J Neurosci 20: RC91, 2000.
738. Zucker RS. Exocytosis: a molecular and physiological perspective.
Neuron 17: 1049 –1055, 1996.
Downloaded from http://physrev.physiology.org/ by 10.220.33.2 on July 4, 2017
Physiol Rev • VOL
85 • OCTOBER 2005 •
www.prv.org