PNAS 1998-05-26

A single receptor encoded by vzg-1/lpA1/edg-2 couples to G proteins and mediates multiple cellular responses to lysophosphatidic acid.

N Fukushima, Y Kimura, J Chun

Index: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 95 , 6151-6156, (1998)

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Abstract

Extracellular lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) produces diverse cellular responses in many cell types. Recent reports of several molecularly distinct G protein-coupled receptors have raised the possibility that the responses to LPA stimulation could be mediated by the combination of several uni-functional receptors. To address this issue, we analyzed one receptor encoded by ventricular zone gene-1 (vzg-1) (also referred to as lpA1/edg-2) by using heterologous expression in a neuronal and nonneuronal cell line. VZG-1 expression was necessary and sufficient in mediating multiple effects of LPA: [3H]-LPA binding, G protein activation, stress fiber formation, neurite retraction, serum response element activation, and increased DNA synthesis. These results demonstrate that a single receptor, encoded by vzg-1, can activate multiple LPA-dependent responses in cells from distinct tissue lineages.