The lipid raft proteins flotillins/reggies interact with Galphaq and are involved in Gq-mediated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation through tyrosine kinase

Cell Signal. 2007 Jun;19(6):1301-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2007.01.012. Epub 2007 Jan 20.

Abstract

The heterotrimeric G protein alpha q subunit (Galphaq) mediates a variety of cell functions by activating the effector molecule phospholipase Cbeta. Galphaq activity is regulated by G protein betagamma subunits, G protein-coupled receptors, RGS proteins, and Ric-8. In this study, we identified the lipid raft resident proteins, flotillin-1/reggie-2 and flotillin-2/reggie-1, as Galphaq-binding proteins. The interactions of Galphaq and flotillins were independent of the nucleotide-binding state of Galphaq, and the N-terminal portion of flotillins was critical for the interaction. A short interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of flotillins, particularly flotillin-2, attenuated the UTP-induced activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) but not that of ERK1/2. The activation of p38 MAPK was inhibited by the Src family tyrosine kinase inhibitor PP2 and the cholesterol-depleting agent methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, which is generally used for the disruption of lipid rafts. In contrast, the activation of ERK1/2 was not inhibited by these compounds. These lines of evidence suggested that a Gq-coupled receptor activates specifically p38 MAPK through lipid rafts and Src kinase activation, in which flotillins positively modulate the Gq signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11 / metabolism*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Membrane Microdomains / drug effects
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / metabolism
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / metabolism
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2Y2
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques
  • Uridine Triphosphate / pharmacology
  • beta-Cyclodextrins / pharmacology
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Membrane Proteins
  • P2RY2 protein, human
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2Y2
  • beta-Cyclodextrins
  • flotillins
  • src-Family Kinases
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11
  • betadex
  • Uridine Triphosphate