TY - JOUR T1 - Thinking outside of the (RGS) box: New Approaches to Therapeutic Targeting of Regulators of G protein Signaling JF - Molecular Pharmacology JO - Mol Pharmacol DO - 10.1124/mol.110.065219 SP - mol.110.065219 AU - Benita Sjogren AU - Richard R Neubig Y1 - 2010/07/27 UR - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2010/07/27/mol.110.065219.abstract N2 - Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins are emerging as potentially important drug targets. The mammalian RGS protein family has more than 20 members and they share a common ~120 residue RGS homology (RH) domain or "RGS box". RGS proteins regulate signaling via G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) by accelerating GTPase activity at active α subunits of G proteins of the Gq and Gi/o families. Most studies searching for modulators of RGS protein function have been focused on inhibiting the GTPase accelerating protein (GAP) activity. However, many RGS proteins contain additional domains that serve other functions such as interactions with proteins or subcellular targeting. Here, we discuss a rationale for therapeutic targeting of RGS proteins by regulation of expression or allosteric modulation to permit either increases or decreases in RGS function. Several RGS proteins have reduced expression or function in pathophysiological states so strategies to increase overall RGS function would be useful. Since several RGS proteins are rapidly degraded by the N-end rule pathway, finding ways to stabilize them may prove to be an effective way to enhance RGS protein function. ER -