G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) at the cell surface activate heterotrimeric G proteins by inducing the G protein alpha (Galpha) subunit to exchange guanosine diphosphate for guanosine triphosphate. Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins accelerate the deactivation of Galpha subunits to reduce GPCR signaling. Here we identified an RGS protein (AtRGS1) in Arabidopsis that has a pred...

RGS family members are GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) for heterotrimeric G proteins. There is evidence that altered RGS gene expression may contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. We investigated the ability of RGS4 to modulate cardiac physiology using a transgenic mouse model. Overexpression of RGS4 in postnatal ventricular tissue did not affect cardiac morphology...

Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins must bind membranes in an orientation that permits the protein-protein interactions necessary for regulatory activity. RGS4 binds to phospholipid surfaces in a slow, multistep process that leads to maximal GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity. When RGS4 is added to phospholipid vesicles that contain m2 or m1 muscarinic receptor and G(i), G(z),...

We present the high-resolution X-ray spectra of Mkn 421 obtained in November 2003 with the RGS aboard the XMM-Newton satellite. This ToO observation was triggered since the source was in a high state of activity in the X-ray band. These data are compared with three archival RGS observations of the same source performed in Autumn 2002 and one in Summer 2003. We searched for the presence of absor...

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins bind to the alpha subunits of certain heterotrimeric G proteins and greatly enhance their rate of GTP hydrolysis, thereby determining the time course of interactions among Galpha, Gbetagamma, and their effectors. Voltage-gated N-type Ca channels mediate neurosecretion, and these Ca channels are powerfully inhibited by G proteins. To determine whe...

G proteins regulate intracellular signaling by coupling a cycle of guanine nucleotide binding and hydrolysis to transient changes of cellular functions. The mechanisms that control the recycling of transducin, the "pacesetting" G protein that regulates mammalian phototransduction, are unclear. We show that a novel retinal specific RGS-motif protein specifically binds to an intermediate conforma...

Our limited ability to assess spontaneous pain in rodent models of painful human conditions may be associated with a translational failure of promising analgesic compounds in to clinical use. If measurement of spontaneous pain behaviours can be used to generate an analgesic intervention score their use could expand to guide the use of analgesics, as mandated by regulatory bodies and ethical and...

G protein signaling in the retina is crucially regulated by the R7 family of regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins, which act to stimulate the rate of G protein inactivation. Recent findings indicate that R7 RGS proteins form complexes with two newly identified membrane anchors: RGS9 Anchor Protein (R9AP) and R7 Binding Protein (R7BP), which play essential roles in modulating the exp...

Xylitol has been used as a substitute for sugar to prevent cavity-causing bacteria, and most studies have focused on its benefits in dental care. Meanwhile, the constituents of red ginseng (RG) are known to be effective in ameliorating the symptoms of influenza virus infection when they are administered orally for 14 days. In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary xylitol on influenz...

The extent and temporal characteristics of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling are shaped by the regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins, which promote G protein deactivation. With hundreds of GPCRs and dozens of RGS proteins, compartmentalization plays a key role in establishing signaling specificity. However, the molecular details and mechanisms of this process are poorly unde...