The members of the R7 family of RGS proteins [1] are more complex structures than the R4 family and are closely related to the C. elegans homologues EGL-10 and EAT-16 that were identified in the early stage of RGS protein research [2,5]. Apart from the RGS domain, several additional domains are present in these proteins that mediate protein-protein interactions, sub-cellular localization and protein stability. All R7 family members form obligatory dimers with Gβ5 through the G-γ like (GGL) domain and the disheveled-EGL10-Pleckstrin homology (DEP) domain [6]. The DEP and DEP helical extension domain interact with R7 binding protein (R7BP) or RGS9 anchoring protein (R9AP; in retina) that serves as a plasma membrane anchoring mechanism [3-4].

1. Anderson GR, Posokhova E, Martemyanov KA. (2009) The R7 RGS protein family: multi-subunit regulators of neuronal G protein signaling. Cell Biochem Biophys, 54 (1-3): 33-46. [PMID:19521673]

2. Hajdu-Cronin YM, Chen WJ, Patikoglou G, Koelle MR, Sternberg PW. (1999) Antagonism between G(o)alpha and G(q)alpha in Caenorhabditis elegans: the RGS protein EAT-16 is necessary for G(o)alpha signaling and regulates G(q)alpha activity. Genes Dev, 13 (14): 1780-93. [PMID:10421631]

3. Hepler JR. (2005) R7BP: a surprising new link between G proteins, RGS proteins, and nuclear signaling in the brain. Sci STKE, 2005 (294): pe38. [PMID:16046666]

4. Jayaraman M, Zhou H, Jia L, Cain MD, Blumer KJ. (2009) R9AP and R7BP: traffic cops for the RGS7 family in phototransduction and neuronal GPCR signaling. Trends Pharmacol Sci, 30 (1): 17-24. [PMID:19042037]

5. Koelle MR, Horvitz HR. (1996) EGL-10 regulates G protein signaling in the C. elegans nervous system and shares a conserved domain with many mammalian proteins. Cell, 84 (1): 115-25. [PMID:8548815]

6. Slepak VZ. (2009) Structure, function, and localization of Gβ5-RGS complexes. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci, 86: 157-203. [PMID:20374716]