• Animal cells and systems
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.93-98
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• 1997

The present study investigated the cellular localization of a-subunit of Gq (Gaq) protein in developing L8E63, rat skeletal muscle cell line. The colocalization of Gaq with actin cytoskeleton was demonstrated by double-labeling experiments. In mononucleated myoblasts, the immuno-fluorescence staining pattern of Gaq was almost identical with that of F-actin visualized with rhodamine-conjugated phalloidin. However, this colocalization of Gaq with cytoskeleton was not maintained in multinucleated myotubes. The staining pattern of Gaq in myotubes did not match with any specific subcellular structure, but appeared as a uniformly distributed diffuse staining throughout the whole cell surface. Interestingly, change in the expression level of Gaq was not detected during myoblast differentiation, suggesting that actin-associated Gaq protein might dissociate from the cytoskeleton as cells differentiate. Immunocytochemical experiments using specific antibodies directed against several G proteins indicated that the subcellular localizations of Gai1, Gai2, Gai3, and Gao were different from those obtained with Gaq.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.423-428
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• 1998

The ligand binding signals to a wide variety of seven transmembrane cell surface receptors are transduced into intracellular signals through heterotrimeric G-proteins. Recently, there have been reports which show diverse coupling patterns of ligand-activated receptors to the members of Gq family $\alpha$ subunits. In order to shed some light on these complex signal processing networks, interactions between G$\alpha$q family of G protein and neurokinin-2 receptor as well as muscarinic M$_{1}$ receptor, which are considered to be new thearpeutic targets in asthma, were studied. Using washed membranes from Cos-7 cells co-transfected with different G.alpha.q and receptor cDNAs, the receptors were stimulated with various concentrations of carbachol and neurokinin A and the agonist-dependent release of [$^3H$]inositol phosphates through phospholipase C beta-1 activation was measured. Differential coupling of Gaq family of G-protein to muscarinic M$_{1}$ receptor and neurokinin-2 receptor was observed. The neurokinin-2 receptor shows a ligand-mediated response in membranes co-transfected with G$\alpha$q, G$\alpha$11 and G$\alpha$14 but not G$\alpha$16 and the ability of the muscarinic $M_1$ receptor to activate phospholipase C through G$\alpha$/11 but not G$\alpha$14 and G$\alpha$16 was demonstrated. Clearly G$\alpha$/11 can couple $\M_1$ and neurokinin-2 receptor to activate phospholipase C. But, there are differences in the relative coupling of the G$\alpha$14 and G$\alpha$16 subunits to these receptors.