Dictyostelium Ric8 is a nonreceptor guanine exchange factor for heterotrimeric G proteins and is important for development and chemotaxis.

Heterotrimeric G proteins couple external signals to the activation of intracellular signal transduction pathways. Agonist-stimulated guanine nucleotide exchange activity of G-protein-coupled receptors results in the exchange of G-protein-bound GDP to GTP and the dissociation and activation of the complex into Gα-GTP and a Gβγ dimer. In Dictyostelium, a basal chemotaxis pathway consisting of heterotrimeric and monomeric G proteins is sufficient for chemotaxis. Symmetry breaking and amplification of chemoattractant sensing occurs between heterotrimeric G protein signaling and Ras activation. In a pull-down screen coupled to mass spectrometry, with Gα proteins as bait, we have identified resistant to inhibitors of cholinesterase 8 (Ric8) as a nonreceptor guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Gα-protein. Ric8 is not essential for the initial activation of heterotrimeric G proteins or Ras by uniform chemoattractant; however, it amplifies Gα signaling, which is essential for Ras-mediated symmetry breaking during chemotaxis and development.

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