Yarfitz, S.L., Running Deer, J.L., Froelick, G., Colley, N.J., Hurley, J.B. (1994). In situ assay of light-stimulated G protein activity in Drosophila photoreceptor G protein mutants. J. Biol. Chem. 269(48): 30340--30344.
FlyBase ID
FBrf0076713
Publication Type
Research paper
Abstract
An in situ 35S-labeled guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S) binding procedure was developed to assay light-stimulated G protein activity in Drosophila compound eyes. We found that Drosophila with mutations in G beta e, an abundant photoreceptor-specific G protein beta subunit essential for photoexcitation, are defective in light-stimulated [35S]GTP gamma S binding. We confirmed that G beta e interacts with a GTP-binding protein by demonstrating that immunoprecipitation of G beta e is sensitive to GTP gamma S. These results suggest that G beta e functions as the beta subunit of a heterotrimeric G protein that couples photoactivation of rhodopsin to downstream components in the Drosophila phototransduction cascade.
