G protein

G proteins, also known as guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, are a family of proteins that act as molecular switches inside cells, and are involved in transmitting signals from a variety of stimuli outside a cell to its interior. Their activity is regulated by factors that control their ability to bind to and hydrolyze guanosine triphosphate (GTP) to guanosine diphosphate (GDP). When they are bound to GTP, they are 'on', and, when they are bound to GDP, they are 'off'. G proteins belong to the larger group of enzymes called GTPases.

There are two classes of G proteins. The first function as monomeric small GTPases, while the second form and function as heterotrimeric G protein complexes. The latter class of complexes is made up of alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ) subunits. In addition, the beta and gamma subunits can form a stable dimeric complex referred to as the beta-gamma complex.

G proteins located within the cell are activated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that span the cell membrane. Signaling molecules bind to a domain of the GPCR located outside the cell, and an intracellular GPCR domain then in turn activates a particular G protein. Some inactive-state GPCRs have also been shown to be "pre-coupled" with G proteins. The G protein activates a cascade of further signaling events that finally results in a change in cell function. G protein-coupled receptor and G proteins working together transmit signals from many hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling factors. G proteins regulate metabolic enzymes, ion channels, transporter proteins, and other parts of the cell machinery, controlling transcription, motility, contractility, and secretion, which in turn regulate diverse systemic functions such as embryonic development, learning and memory, and homeostasis.

D-amino acid oxidase activator

D-amino acid oxidase activator (DAOA, also known as G72) is a protein enriched in various parts of brain, spinal cord, and testis. DAOA is thought to interact with D-amino acid oxidase, a peroxisomal enzyme, and its gene was associated with schizophrenia in a number of studies. In separate studies it has been shown to confer susceptibility to bipolar disorder. Therefore it has been important in researching whether the Kraepelinian dichotomy is genuine. The gene itself was discovered during an investigation of chromosomal 13q22-q34 region, which was previously linked to schizophrenia. G72 is transcribed into several proteins due to alternative splicing; the longest protein is called LG72 and consists of 153 amino acids. Although the protein was initially found to interact with DAO in yeast 2-hybrid experiment, one recent in vivo experiment showed LG72 presence only in mitochondria and failed to confirm the interaction. The expression of DAOA may be regulated by the long non-coding RNA DAOA-AS1. G72 protein regulates D-serine, a potent co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) neurotransmission, which is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In a recent study, patients with schizophrenia had a remarkable elevation of G72 protein expression in plasma (compared with healthy controls), and this is the first one indicating that the peripheral expression of a single protein may have the potential to be a diagnostic biomarker for schizophrenia.^[5]