Regulator Of G Protein Signaling 9 (RGS9)

Regulator of G-protein signalling 9 is a protein involved in regulation of signal transduction inside cells. Members of the RGS family, such as RGS9, are signaling proteins that suppress the activity of G proteins by promoting their deactivation.

There are two splice isoforms of RGS9 with quite different properties and patterns of expression. RGS9-1 is mainly found in the eye and is involved in regulation of phototransduction in rod and cone cells of the retina, while RGS9-2 is found in the brain, and regulates dopamine and opioid signaling in the basal ganglia. This means that any targeting of RGS9 as a therapeutic target must be able to distinguish between these different tissue isoforms in order to avoid affecting vision.