G-protein-coupled Receptor Kinase-interacting Proteins Inhibit Apoptosis by Inositol 1,4,5-Triphosphate Receptor-mediated Ca2+ Signal Regulation

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor (IP3R) is an intracellular IP3-gated calcium (Ca2+) release channel and plays important roles in regulation of numerous Ca2+-dependent cellular responses. Many intracellular modulators and IP3R-binding proteins regulate the IP3R channel function. Here we identified G-protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting proteins (GIT), GIT1 and GIT2, as novel IP3R-binding proteins. We found that both GIT1 and GIT2 directly bind to all three subtypes of IP3R. The interaction was favored by the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and it functionally inhibited IP3R activity. Knockdown of GIT induced and accelerated caspase-dependent apoptosis in both unstimulated and staurosporine-treated cells, which was attenuated by wild-type GIT1 overexpression or pharmacological inhibitors of IP3R, but not by a mutant form of GIT1 that abrogates the interaction. Thus, we conclude that GIT inhibits apoptosis by modulating the IP3R-mediated Ca2+ signal through a direct interaction with IP3R in a cytosolic Ca2+-dependent manner.