Molecular cloning and characterization of retinal photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase-activating protein

Guanylyl cyclase-activating protein (GCAP) is thought to mediate Ca(2+)-sensitive regulation of guanylyl cyclase (GC), a key event in recovery of the dark state of rod photoreceptors following light exposure. Here, we characterize GCAP from several vertebrate species by molecular cloning and provide evidence that GCAP contains a heterogeneously acylated N-terminal region that interacts with GC. Vertebrate GCAPs consist of 201-205 amino acids, and sequence analysis indicates the presence fo three EF hand Ca(2+)-binding motifs. These results establish that GCAP is a novel photoreceptor-specific member of a large family of Ca(2+)-binding proteins and suggest that it participates in the Ca(2+)-binding proteins and suggest that it participates in the Ca(2+)-sensitive activation of GC.