title: N-myristoylation of the rod outer segment G protein, transducin, in cultured retinas.
abstract: Bovine retinas incubated with [3H]myristic acid incorporated detectable radiolabel into only a few proteins. The most heavily labeled was the alpha subunit of the rod outer segment G protein transducin (Gt alpha). The radiolabeled protein was specifically eluted from illuminated membranes in the presence of GTP, displaying the unique solubility properties of Gt alpha. It comigrated with Gt alpha in electrophoresis and chromatography and was immunoprecipitated by Gt alpha-specific antibodies. The radiolabel was confirmed by hydrolysis, chemical derivatization, and chromatography to be amide-linked myristic acid. The solubility of the myristoylated Gt alpha indicates that myristoylation is not sufficient to cause tight membrane association of this normally membrane-bound subunit. Incorporation of [3H]myristate was blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, suggesting that that fatty acid group is introduced during or soon after translation in the rod inner segment.
authors.affiliation: Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Wensel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D019814:Myristic Acid; D009227:Myristic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism*; D012374:Rod Cell Outer Segment / Q000378:metabolism*; D015293:Transducin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D009227:Myristic Acids; D019814:Myristic Acid; D014316:Tritium; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D015293:Transducin