Beta-subunits of the human liver Gs/Gi signal-transducing proteins and those of bovine retinal rod cell transducin are identical.

The complete cDNA encoding the beta-subunit of the human liver signal transducing proteins Gs/Gi (beta G) has been cloned from a lambda gtll library using an oligonucleotide as a screening agent. The cDNA has 3088 nucleotides and an 11 nucleotide poly(A) tail, of which 280 nucleotides constitute the 5'-untranslated region, 1023 form the open reading frame (ORF) and its stop codon, and 1785 are the 3'-untranslated region with two AATAAA cleavage and polyadenylation signals separated by 1467 nucleotides. The ORF codes for a 340 amino acid polypeptide that is identical to that encoded by bovine retinal rod cell cDNA of the beta-subunit of transducin. Yet, it does so by using 87 different codons. Curiously, the 280 nucleotide 5' leader sequence obtained starts with an ATG that is part of another ORF encoding a putative peptide X of 75 amino acids (nucleotide 280 to 55). This work proves for the first time that the beta-subunits of all signal-transducing G-proteins, including transducin, are the same.