The Nucleotide-Dependent Interactome of Rice Heterotrimeric G-Protein α -Subunit

The rice heterotrimeric G-protein complex, a guanine-nucleotide-dependent on-off switch, mediates vital cellular processes and responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Exchange of bound GDP (resting state) for GTP (active state) is spontaneous in plants including rice and thus there is no need for promoting guanine nucleotide exchange in vivo as a mechanism for regulating the active state of signaling as it is well known for animal G signaling. As such, a master regulator controlling the G-protein activation state is unknown in plants. Therefore, an ab initio approach is taken to discover candidate regulators. The rice Gα subunit (RGA1) is used as bait to screen for nucleotide-dependent protein partners. A total of 264 proteins are identified by tandem mass spectrometry of which 32 were specific to the GDP-bound inactive state and 22 specific to the transition state. Approximately, 10% are validated as previously identified G-protein interactors.