= Gq protein
{c}
A <Gq protein> is a <heterotrimeric G protein> whose alpha subunit couples activated <G protein-coupled receptors> to effectors including <phospholipase C>. <GTP> binding changes the alpha subunit's interactions; subsequent <GTP hydrolysis> helps terminate the signal. The beta and gamma subunits are components of the same signalling system, not parts of the <receptor>. <Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition by Bruce Alberts and others>[Chapter 15, Signaling through G-Protein-Linked Cell-Surface Receptors: phospholipase C and inositol phospholipids]{ref}
The inhibitor <YM-254890> supplies a molecular probe: structural work showed stabilization of a GDP-bound arrangement that impedes <nucleotide> exchange. Suppressing exchange is distinct from blocking the downstream <enzyme> directly, so an inhibitor response can help identify which stage of a signalling pathway is being controlled. <Structural basis for the specific inhibition of heterotrimeric Gq protein by a small molecule by Akiyuki Nishimura and others>[2010, abstract and nucleotide-exchange inhibition mechanism]{ref}
Back to article page
