A historical perspective on the lateral diffusion model of GTPase activation and related coupling of membrane signaling proteins

Aspects of our discovery of lateral diffusion of the G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin and that a single activated rhodopsin can non-covalently catalyze GTP binding to thousands of GTPases per second on rod disk membranes via this diffusion are summarized herein. Rapid GTPase coupling to membrane-bound phosphodiesterase (PDE) further amplifies the signal via cGMP hydrolysis, essential to visual transduction. Important generalizations from this work are that biomembranes can uniquely concentrate, orient for reaction and provide a solvent appropriate to rapid, powerful and appropriately controlled sequential interaction of signaling proteins. Of equal importance to function is timely control and termination of such powerful amplification via receptor phosphorylation (quenching) and arrestin binding. Downstream kinetic modulation by GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) and regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) and related mechanisms as well as limitations set by membrane domain fencing, structural protein binding etc. can be essential in relevant systems.