The guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(o alpha) has been implicated in the regulation of Ca2+ channels in neural tissues. Covalent modification of G(o alpha) by pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of a cysteine (position 351) four amino acids from the carboxyl terminus decouples G(o alpha) from receptor. To define the structural requirements for ADP-ribosylation, preparations of recombinant G(o alpha) with mutations within the five amino acids at the carboxyl terminus were evaluated for their ability to serve as pertussis toxin substrates. As expected, the mutant in which cysteine 351 was replaced by glycine (C351G) was not a toxin substrate. Other inactive mutants were G352D and L353 delta/Y354 delta. Mutations that had no significant effect on toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation included G350D, G350R, Y354 delta, and L353V/Y354 delta. Less active mutants were L353G/Y354 delta, L353A/Y354 delta, and L353G. ADP-ribosylation of the active mutants, like that of wild-type G(o alpha), was enhanced by the beta gamma subunits of bovine transducin. It appears that three of the four terminal amino acids critically influence pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of G(o alpha).

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHCM) has been linked to the cardiac beta-myosin heavy-chain (MHC) genes on chromosome 14 (14q1), and a missense mutation within exon 13 of the beta MHC gene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. To test whether this constitutional mutation occurs somatically in the myocardium of the sporadic form of the disease, we studied seven patients with familial (n = 3) or sporadic (n = 4) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Amplification of exon 13 of the beta MHC from paraffin-embedded myocardium using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed and analysis of the amplified product for migration abnormalities using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and direct sequencing of the PCR product were used. Neither patients with HCM nor subjects with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (n = 2) exhibited an aberration within exon 13 of the myocardial beta MHC. It is concluded that a specific beta MHC gene mutation is displayed only in a subset of patients with familial disease, thus further emphasizing the notion of genetic heterogeneity. In addition, in the sporadic form of the disease, somatically occurring mutations in this particular exon could not be demonstrated.