PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Qing Yang AU - Regina Alemany AU - Jesús Casas AU - Klára Kitajka AU - Stephen M. Lanier AU - Pablo V. Escribá TI - Influence of the Membrane Lipid Structure on Signal Processing via G Protein-Coupled Receptors AID - 10.1124/mol.105.011692 DP - 2005 Jul 01 TA - Molecular Pharmacology PG - 210--217 VI - 68 IP - 1 4099 - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/68/1/210.short 4100 - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/68/1/210.full SO - Mol Pharmacol2005 Jul 01; 68 AB - We have recently reported that lipid structure regulates the interaction with membranes, recruitment to membranes, and distribution to membrane domains of heterotrimeric Gαβγ proteins, Gα subunits, and Gβγ dimers (J Biol Chem 279:36540–36545, 2004). Here, we demonstrate that modulation of the membrane structure not only determines G protein localization but also regulates the function of G proteins and related signaling proteins. In this context, the antitumor drug daunorubicin (daunomycin) and oleic acid changed the membrane structure and inhibited G protein activity in biological membranes. They also induced marked changes in the activity of the α2A/D-adrenergic receptor and adenylyl cyclase. In contrast, elaidic and stearic acid did not change the activity of the above-mentioned proteins. These fatty acids are chemical but not structural analogs of oleic acid, supporting the structural basis of the modulation of membrane lipid organization and subsequent regulation of G protein-coupled receptor signaling. In addition, oleic acid (and also daunorubicin) did not alter G protein activity in a membrane-free system, further demonstrating the involvement of membrane structure in this signal modulation. The present work also unravels in part the molecular bases involved in the antihypertensive (Hypertension 43:249–254, 2004) and anticancer (Mol Pharmacol 67:531–540, 2005) activities of synthetic oleic acid derivatives (e.g., 2-hydroxyoleic acid) as well as the molecular bases of the effects of diet fats on human health.