Regulator of G protein signaling 4 suppresses basal and thyrotropin releasing-hormone (TRH)-stimulated signaling by two mouse TRH receptors, TRH-R(1) and TRH-R(2)

Endocrinology. 2001 Mar;142(3):1188-94. doi: 10.1210/endo.142.3.8019.

Abstract

We cloned the mouse TRH receptor type 2 (mTRH-R2) gene, which is 92% identical with rat TRH-R2 and 50% identical with mTRH-R1 at the amino acid level, and identified an intron within the coding sequence that is not present in the TRH-R1 gene structure. Similar to its rat homolog, mTRH-R2 binds TRH with an affinity indistinguishable from mTRH-R1, signals via the phosphoinositide pathway like mTRH-R1, but exhibits a higher basal signaling activity than mTRH-R1. We found that regulator of G protein signaling 4 (RGS4), which differentially inhibits signaling by other receptors that couple to Gq, inhibits TRH-stimulated signaling via mTRH-R1 and mTRH-R2 to similar extents. In contrast, other RGS proteins including RGS7, RGS9, and GAIP had no effect on signaling by mTRH-R1 or mTRH-R2 demonstrating the specificity of RGS4 action. Interestingly, RGS4 markedly inhibited basal signaling by mTRH-R2. Inhibition of basal signaling of mTRH-R2 by RGS4 suggests that modulation of agonist-independent signaling may be an important mechanism of regulation of G protein-coupled receptor activity under normal physiologic circumstances.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence / genetics
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Cell Line
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / physiology
  • RGS Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / genetics
  • Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Protein Isoforms
  • RGS Proteins
  • Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • RGS4 protein
  • Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF283762
  • GENBANK/AF283763