Deduced amino acid sequence of bovine retinal Go alpha: similarities to other guanine nucleotide-binding proteins.

A bovine retinal cDNA clone encoding the complete sequence (354 amino acids) of Go alpha, a guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein), was isolated by using oligonucleotide probes complementary to published sequences in two putative clones for the alpha subunit of bovine transducin (T alpha). The deduced amino acid sequence contained sequences identical to those in seven tryptic peptides (total 63 amino acids) from bovine brain Go alpha. The cDNA for bovine retinal Go alpha exhibits greater than 90% identity in both coding and 3' untranslated regions with a recently described partial cDNA clone for Go alpha from rat brain [Itoh, H., Kozasa, T., Nagata, S., Nakamura, S., Katada, T., Ui, M., Iwai, S., Ohtsuka, E., Kawasaki, H., Suzuki, K. & Kaziro, Y. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83, 3776-3780]. Comparison of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the bovine Go alpha clone with those previously reported for other G proteins of bovine origin (Gs alpha, Gi alpha, and T alpha) reveals extensive regions identical to those surrounding the amino acids modified by cholera toxin and pertussis toxin. There are also marked similarities of sequence in regions of the G proteins, elongation factors, and the ras p21 gene products that are believed to be involved in guanine nucleotide binding and GTP hydrolysis.