Functional analysis of atypical G proteins involved in cell signaling network

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G proteins, which cycle between the two different GTP- and GDP-bound conformations, play important roles as a "molecular switch" in many intracellular signaling pathways. The G protein families include the translation factors, the trimeric G proteins, and the small GTPases. Although the small GTPases are involved in the regulation of cell growth/differentiation, vesicle trafficking, and cell shape/adhesion, there are still many other GTPases, of which functions are unknown. In the Scientific Research on Priority Areas "G-protein signal", we investigated novel GTPases exhibiting unique biochemical and/or structural properties different from typical small GTPases and found that the atypical G proteins play important roles in lysosome biogenesis, cilia formation, and recycling-endosome dynamics. Thus, our findings contributed much toward an understanding of the novel functions of G proteins.