title: Genomic characterization of the human heterotrimeric G protein alpha, beta, and gamma subunit genes.
abstract: Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) transduce extracellular signals received by transmembrane receptors to effector proteins. Each subunit of the G protein complex is encoded by a member of one of three corresponding gene families. Currently, 16 different members of the alpha subunit family, 5 different members of the beta subunit family, and 11 different members of the gamma subunit family have been described in mammals. Here we have identified and characterized Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs) containing the human homologs of each of the alpha, beta, and gamma subunit genes as well as a G alpha11 pseudogene and a previously undiscovered G gamma5-like gene. The gene structure and chromosome location of each gene was determined, as were the orientations of paired genes. These results provide greater insight into the evolution and functional diversity of the mammalian G protein subunit genes.
authors.affiliation: Beckman Institute, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Hurowitz
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Melnyk
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kouros-Mehr
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shizuya
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005091:Exons; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins