Abstract
Phosducin-like protein (PhLP) exists in two splice variants PhLP(LONG)
(PhLP(L)) and PhLP(SHORT) (PhLP(S)). Whereas PhLP(L) directly inhibits
Gbetagamma-stimulated signaling, the G betagamma-inhibitory mechanism
of PhLP(S) is not understood. We report here that inhibition of Gbetagamma
signaling in intact HEK cells by PhLP(S) was independent of direct
Gbetagamma binding; however, PhLP(S) caused down-regulation of Gbeta
and Ggamma proteins. The down-regulation was partially suppressed
by lactacystine, indicating the involvement of proteasomal degradation.
N-terminal fusion of Gbeta or Ggamma with a dye-labeling protein
resulted in their stabilization against down-regulation by PhLP(S)
but did not lead to a functional rescue. Moreover, in the presence
of PhLP(S), stabilized Ggamma subunits did not coprecipitate with
stabilized Gbeta subunits, suggesting that PhLP(S) might interfere
with Gbetagamma folding. PhLP(S) and several truncated mutants of
PhLP(S) interacted with the subunit tailless complex polypeptide-1alpha
(TCP-1alpha) of the CCT chaperonin complex, which is involved in
protein folding. Knock-down of TCP-1alpha in HEK cells by small interfering
RNA also led to down-regulation of Gbetagamma. We therefore conclude
that the strong inhibitory action of PhLP(S) on Gbetagamma signaling
is the result of a previously unrecognized mechanism of Gbetagamma-regulation,
inhibition of Gbetagamma-folding by interference with TCP-1alpha.
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