Symbol GNAQ HUGO 4390 RefSeq NM_002072 | Entrez 2776 OMIM 600998 UniProt P50148 | |
Gq protein (Gαq, or Gq/11) is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates phospholipase C (PLC). PLC in turn hydrolyzes Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to diacyl glycerol (DAG) and inositol trisphosphate (IP3) signal transduction pathway. DAG acts as a second messenger that activates Protein Kinase C (PKC) and IP3 helps in phosphorylation of some proteins.
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Naming
There has been much debate about the naming of the Gαq. However, the "q" in the name is arbitrarily named and does not stand for anything in particular. This nomenclature came from Micheal Strathmann and Mel Simon after their discovery of the protein class in 1989. Essentially, the q designation comes from the fact that Michael Strathmann couldn't use the front end of the alphabet "because those early letters were already reserved for a number of classes of subunits, the Gz designation had been taken and Gx seemed too obvious -- and so Gq."
Function
Gq proteins are class of G proteins which work to activate phospholipase C (PLC), participating in a variety of cellular signaling pathways.
The Gq protein works by activating PLC. PLC then cleaves a phospholipid. In the process, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is cleaved into diacyl glycerol (DAG) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). DAG remains bound to the membrane, and IP3 is released as a soluble structure into the cytosol. IP3 then diffuses through the cytosol to bind to IP3 receptors, particular calcium channels in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These channels are specific to calcium and only allow the passage of calcium to move through. This causes the cytosolic concentration of calcium to increase, causing a cascade of intracellular changes and activity.
Further reading: Calcium function in vertebratesIn addition, calcium and DAG together work to activate PKC, which goes on to phosphorylate other molecules, leading to altered cellular activity.
Further reading: function of protein kinase CExamples of GPCR partners
From modulatory neurotransmitter receptors (amine receptors belonging to rhodopsin family), Gq has been shown to be pre-coupled with Gq-coupled receptors physically and is functionally coupled to e.g. the G-protein coupled receptors:
It has been shown that Gq proteins are preassembled (pre-coupled) with Gq-coupled receptors (such as M3 receptor. The common polybasic domain in the C-tail of Gq-coupled receptors is necessary for the receptor-G protein preassembly.