Identification of Gx11 as the phospholipase C-activating G-protein of turkey erythrocytes

A 43 kDa phospholipase C-activating protein has been purified previously from turkey erythrocytes and shown to express immunological properties expected of that of the Gq family of G-protein a-subunits [Waldo, Boyer, Morris and Harden (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 14217-14225]. Internal amino acid sequence has now been obtained from this protein which shares 50-100% sequence identity with sequences encoded by mammalian Gall and Gaq cDNAs. To identify the purified protein unambiguously, it was necessary to compare its amino acid sequence with the sequence encoded by avian G-protein a-subunit cDNA. As such, mouse Gaq was used as a probe to screen turkey brain and fetalturkey blood cDNA libraries. A full-length cDNA was identified