G alpha(i) and G alpha(o) are target proteins of reactive oxygen species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been identified as central mediators in certain signalling events. In the heart, ROS have important functions in ischaemia/reperfusion-induced cardiac injury and in cytokine-stimulated hypertrophy. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is one of the ROS-responsive serine/threonine kinases. Previous studies showed that tyrosine kinases and small G proteins are involved in the activation of ERK by ROS; however, the initial target protein of ROS that leads to ERK activation remains unknown. Here we show that inhibition of the betagamma-subunit of G protein (G betagamma) attenuates hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced ERK activation in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. The G betagamma-responsive ERK activation induced by H2O2 is independent of ligands binding to Gi-coupled receptors, but requires phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and Src activation. In in vitro studies, however, treatment with H2O2 increases [35S]GTP-gammaS binding to cardiac membranes and directly activates purified heterotrimeric Gi and Go but not Gs. Analysis using heterotrimeric Go and its individual subunits indicates that H2O2 modifies G alpha(o) but not G betagamma, which leads to subunit dissociation. We conclude that G alpha(i) and G alpha(o) are critical targets of oxidative stress for activation of ERK.