A novel magnesium‐dependent mechanism for the activation of transducin by fluoride

Abstract
Activation of transducin‐GDP by NaF is mainly mediated by aluminofluoride or beryllofluoride complexes acting as GTP γ‐phosphate analogs. In millimolar magnesium, NaF at concentrations above 3 mM is active even in the absence of aluminium or beryllium. This activation has a Hill coefficient of 3 with respect to F, and its rate is linear with respect to Mg2+ concentrations above 2 mM. Upon fluoride dilution, inactivation rate is hundreds of times faster than for aluminofluoride‐activated TαGDP. We propose that at high NaF concentrations, 3 hydrogen‐bonded fluorides in the γ‐phosphate site of TαGDP entrap a magnesium counterion and this induces the transconformation to the TαGTP form.