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The heterotrimeric G proteins transmit signals from a variety of cell surface receptors to enzymes and channels (reviewed byNeer 1995). The heterotrimer consists of an α subunit that binds and hydrolyzes GTP and a pair of proteins, β and γ, that are tightly associated with each other. The GTP-activated Gα subunits dissociate from Gβγ, and both subunits then activate their respective effectors. The subunits stay separated until GTP is hydrolyzed to GDP, whereupon they reassemble and both become inactive. Therefore, the contact surface between Gα and Gβγ has major regulatory importance.
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Neer et al. (1996) studied this question.
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