title: Baculovirus expression of mammalian G protein alpha subunits.
abstract: Complementary DNAs encoding three subtypes of the alpha subunit (alpha i-1, alpha o and alpha s) of rat guanyl nucleotide regulatory proteins were used to construct recombinant baculoviruses which direct high-level expression of the corresponding proteins in cultured Sf9 insect cells. The expressed proteins were recognized by polyclonal antisera specific for the different alpha chains, and co-migrated with the native proteins from rat brain membranes in immunoblotting analyses. Soluble and particulate forms of all three immunoreactive alpha chains were observed following ultracentrifugation of cell lysates. Biosynthetic radiolabelling of infected cells with [35S]methionine or [3H]myristate showed that both soluble and particulate forms of alpha i-1 and alpha o were myristoylated; in contrast, alpha s did not incorporate myristate. The soluble fractions from cells expressing alpha chains showed high levels of GTP-binding activity over that observed in uninfected cells, or in cells infected with wild-type virus. The peak expression levels observed at 72 h post-infection were highest for alpha o at ca. 400 pmol of GTP-gamma-35S/mg protein, or roughly 2% of the total soluble protein. The results of this work show that the baculovirus system can be employed for high-level production of mammalian G protein alpha chains which retain GTP-binding activity and are appropriately modified by myristoylation.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labrecque
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torossian
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plamondon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dennis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019814:Myristic Acid; D009227:Myristic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009227:Myristic Acids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019814:Myristic Acid; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins