Many oncogenic mutations promote tumor growth by inducing autonomous activity of proteins that normally transmit proliferative signal initiated by extracelular factors. G proteins are a family of guanine nucleotide binding proteins, which are structurally homologous and widely distributed in eukaryotic cells. They are composed of three different subunits (alpha, beta e gamma). The alpha subunit, which contains the guanine nucleotide-binding site, is unique to each G protein. The G proteins couple an array of seven transmembrane receptors at the cell surface with a variety of intracellular effectors, which produce second messenger molecules. A subset of endocrine tumors, such as GH- or ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas, functioning thyroid adenomas, adrenocortical and gonadal tumors were associated with somatic activating mutations in the highly conserved codons of the Gs (Arg201 and Gln227) and Gi (Arg179 and Gln205) proteins. These findings indicated that the G proteins play a role as oncogenes, contributing with the human endocrine tumorigenesis.
G protein; a subunit; Activating mutations; Endocrine tumors