title: Structural homology discloses a bifunctional structural motif at the N-termini of G alpha proteins.
abstract: In a family of proteins, often the three-dimensional structure has been experimentally determined only for one member or a few members of the family. Homology modeling can be used to model the structures of all other members of the family and thus allow comparison of these structures. This approach was applied to heterotrimeric G proteins that require anchorage to the plasma membrane to properly interact with membrane-bound receptors and downstream effectors. Lipid modification by palmitoylation is a fundamental contributor to this localization, but the signals leading to this modification are still unknown. In this work, homology models of all the different human G(alpha) paralogs were generated using automated homology modeling, and the electrostatic potential of these proteins was calculated and visualized. This approach identifies a basic, positively charged, structural motif in the N-termini of heterotrimeric G proteins, which is not readily discernible from sequence alone. The basic motif is much reduced in those G(alpha) subunits that also undergo myristoylation, suggesting that the basic patches and myristoylation play overlapping roles. These motifs can affect both membrane affinity and orientation and determine the palmitoylation of G(alpha) subunits in cooperation with the G(betagamma) subunits, as has been corroborated by previous experimental studies. Furthermore, other palmitoylated proteins such as GAP-43 and RGS proteins share this alpha-helical basic motif in their N-terminus. It therefore appears that this structural motif is more widely applicable as a membrane-targeting and palmitoylation-determining signal. The work presented here highlights the possibilities available for experimentalists to discover structural motifs that are not readily observed by analysis of the linear sequence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry and Kühne Minerva Center for Studies of Visual Transduction, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors.forename: Mickey
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosloff
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Selinger
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry*; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000737:chemistry*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D055672:Static Electricity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D021122:Protein Subunits; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins