Complex information processing by the transmembrane signaling system involving G proteins

Much of the information cells receive is transduced by a membranous signaling system that uses heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) to functionally couple cell surface receptors to a variety of effectors. During recent years it has been shown that receptors, G protein alpha, beta and gamma subunits as well as effectors involved in this signaling system exhibit a remarkable structural diversity and that the interactions of these components display a bewildering complexity. Even though many questions remain to be answered, it is becoming obvious that G proteins form the basis of a complex membranous signaling network which allows the cell to coordinate and to process incoming signals already on the level of the plasma membrane.