The bifunctional protein RGS14 is both a GTPase activating protein (GAP) for Gi
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and Go
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and a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) for Gi
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. This GDI activity is isolated to a regionof the protein distinct from the RGS domain that contains an additional G protein-binding domain (RBD/GL). Here, we report that RGS14 missing its RGS domain (R14-RBD/GL) binds directly to Go and Gito modulate nucleotide binding and hydrolysis by mechanisms distinct from its defined GDI activity. Inbrain pull-down assays, full-length RGS14 and R14-RBD/GL (but not the isolated RGS domain of RGS14)bind Go
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-GDP, Gi
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-GDP, and also G
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. When reconstituted with M2 muscarinic receptors (M2) pluseither Gi or Go, RGS4 (which has no RBD/GL domain) and full-length RGS14 each markedly stimulatesthe steady-state GTPase activities of both G proteins, whereas R14-RBD/GL has little or no effect. R14-RBD/GL potentiates RGS4 GAP activity in membrane-based assays by increasing the apparent affinityof RGS4 for Gi
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and Go
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, suggesting a cooperative interaction between the RBD/GL domain, RGS4,and G
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. This activity of R14-RBD/GL on RGS4 is not apparent in single-turnover solution GAP assayswith purified Gi
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or Go
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, suggesting that membranes and/or receptors are required for this activity.When these findings are taken together, they indicate that regions of RGS14 outside of the RGS domaincan bind inactive forms of Go and Gi to confer previously unappreciated activities that influence G
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nucleotide binding and/or hydrolysis by mechanisms distinct from its RGS domain and established GDIactivity.