Heterotrimeric G proteins function to relay information from cell surface receptors to intracellular effectors. Each of a very broad range of receptors specifically detects an extracellular stimulus (a photon, pheromone, odorant, hormone or neurotransmitter) while the effectors (i.e., adenyl cyclase), which act to generate one or more intracellular messengers, are less numerous. In mammals, G protein Alpha, Beta and Gamma polypeptides are encoded by at least 16, 4 and 7 genes, respectively. M