PLOS ONE, cilt.8, sa.1, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
Heterotrimeric G-protein signal transduction initiated by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the plasma membrane is thought to propagate through protein-protein interactions of subunits, G alpha and G beta gamma in the cytosol. In this study, we show novel nuclear functions of G beta gamma through demonstrating interaction of G beta(2) with integral components of chromatin and effects of G beta(2) depletion on global gene expression. Agonist activation of several GPCRs including the angiotensin II type 1 receptor specifically augmented G beta(2) levels in the nucleus and G beta(2) interacted with specific nucleosome core histones and transcriptional modulators. Depletion of G beta(2) repressed the basal and angiotensin II-dependent transcriptional activities of myocyte enhancer factor 2. G beta(2) interacted with a sequence motif that was present in several transcription factors, whose genome-wide binding accounted for the G beta(2)-dependent regulation of approximately 2% genes. These findings suggest a wide-ranging mechanism by which direct interaction of G beta gamma with specific chromatin bound transcription factors regulates functional gene networks in response to GPCR activation in cells.