Conventional and novel G? protein families constitute the heterotrimeric G-protein signaling network in soybean.

ABSTRACT: Heterotrimeric G-proteins comprised of G?, G? and G? proteins are important signal transducers in all eukaryotes. The G? protein of the G-protein heterotrimer is crucial for its proper targeting at the plasma membrane and correct functioning. G? proteins are significantly smaller and more diverse than the G? and G? proteins. In model plants Arabidopsis and rice that have a single G? and G? protein, the presence of two canonical G? proteins provide some diversity to the possible heterotrimeric combinations. Our recent analysis of the latest version of the soybean genome has identified ten G? proteins which belong to three distinct families based on their C-termini. We amplified the full length cDNAs, analyzed their detailed expression profile by quantitative PCR, assessed their localization and performed yeast-based interaction analysis to evaluate interaction specificity with different G? proteins. Our results show that ten G? genes are retained in the soybean genome and have interesting expression profiles across different developmental stages. Six of the newly identified proteins belong to two plant-specific G? protein families. Yeast-based interaction analyses predict some degree of interaction specificity between different G? and G? proteins. This research thus identifies a highly diverse G-protein network from a plant species. Homologs of these novel proteins have been previously identified as QTLs for grain size and yield in rice.

SUBMITTER: Choudhury SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3154445 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature