A head-activator binding protein is present in hydra in a soluble and a membrane-anchored form

Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (18) ◽  
pp. 4077-4086 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Hampe ◽  
J. Urny ◽  
I. Franke ◽  
S.A. Hoffmeister-Ullerich ◽  
D. Herrmann ◽  
...  

The neuropeptide head activator plays an important role for proliferation and determination of stem cells in hydra. By affinity chromatography a 200 kDa head-activator binding protein, HAB, was isolated from the multiheaded mutant of Chlorohydra viridissima. Partial amino acid sequences were used to clone the HAB cDNA which coded for a receptor with a unique alignment of extracellular modules, a transmembrane domain, and a short carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic tail. A mammalian HAB homologue with identical alignment of these modules is expressed early in brain development. Specific antibodies revealed the presence of HAB in hydra as a transmembrane receptor, but also as secreted protein, both capable of binding head activator. Secretion of HAB during regeneration and expression in regions of high determination potential hint at a role for HAB in regulating the concentration and range of action of head activator.

1995 ◽  
Vol 311 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
W C Buhi ◽  
I M Alvarez ◽  
V M Shille ◽  
M J Thatcher ◽  
J P Harney ◽  
...  

A major canine endometrial secreted protein (cP6, 23,000-M(r)) was purified by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography and characterized by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Anti-[human retinol-binding protein (hRBP)] serum identified cP6 on immunoblot analysis and immunoprecipitated cP6 from culture medium. This major protein was also shown to bind [3H]retinol. N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences were determined and compared with previously identified protein, RNA, or DNA sequences. N-terminal analysis revealed that cP6 had high identity and similarity to serum retinol-binding proteins (RBPs), while internal sequence analysis showed a strong similarity to rat androgen-dependent epididymal protein and beta-lactoglobulins. Amino acid analysis, however, showed significant differences between these proteins and cP6 in both total amino acid content and certain selected amino acids. Immunohistochemical analysis showed staining for RBP only in the uterine luminal epithelium. These studies suggest that bitch endometrium secretes a family of proteins (cP6), some of which bind [3H]retinol, are immunologically related to the RBP family, and have N-terminal and internal sequences with a high similarity to RBP, beta-lactoglobulins and other members of the lipocalin family. This family of proteins may be important in early development for supplying retinol or derivatives to the developing embryo.


2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (20) ◽  
pp. 6625-6635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrin Kuo ◽  
Borries Demeler ◽  
W. G. Haldenwang

ABSTRACT Bacillus subtilis Obg is a ribosome-associating GTP binding protein that is needed for growth, sporulation, and induction of the bacterium's general stress regulon (GSR). It is unclear whether the roles of Obg in sporulation and stress responsiveness are direct or a secondary effect of its growth-promoting functions. The present work addresses this question by an analysis of two obg alleles whose phenotypes argue for direct roles for Obg in each process. The first allele [obg(G92D)] encodes a missense change in the protein's highly conserved “obg fold” region. This mutation impairs cell growth and the ability of Obg to associate with ribosomes but fails to block sporulation or the induction of the GSR. The second obg mutation [obg(Δ22)] replaces the 22-amino-acid carboxy-terminal sequence of Obg with an alternative 26-amino-acid sequence. This Obg variant cofractionates with ribosomes and allows normal growth but blocks sporulation and impairs the induction of the GSR. Additional experiments revealed that the block on sporulation occurs early, preventing the activation of the essential sporulation transcription factor Spo0A, while inhibition of the GSR appears to involve a failure of the protein cascade that normally activates the GSR to effectively catalyze the reactions needed to activate the GSR transcription factor (σB).


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 868-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel H. Edwards ◽  
Diane Sitki-Green ◽  
Dominic T. Moore ◽  
Nancy Raab-Traub

ABSTRACT Seven distinct sequence variants of the Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) have been identified by distinguishing amino acid changes in the carboxy-terminal domain. In this study the transmembrane domains are shown to segregate identically with the distinct carboxy-terminal amino acid sequences. Since strains of LMP1 have been shown to differ in abundance between blood and throat washes, nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) from areas of endemicity and nonendemicity with matching blood were analyzed by using a heteroduplex tracking assay to distinguish LMP1 variants. Striking differences were found between the compartments with the Ch1 strain prevalent in the NPCs from areas of endemicity and nonendemicity and the B958 strain prevalent in the blood of the endemic samples, whereas multiple strains of LMP1 were prevalent in the blood of the nonendemic samples. The possible selection against the B958 strain appearing in the tumor was highly significant (P < 0.0001). Sequence analysis of the full-length LMP1 variants revealed changes in many of the known and computer-predicted HLA-restricted epitopes with changes in key positions in multiple, potential epitopes for the specific HLA of the patients. These amino acid substitutions at key positions in the LMP1 epitopes may result in a reduced cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte response. These data indicate that strains with specific variants of LMP1 are more likely to be found in NPC. The predominance of specific LMP1 variants in NPC could reflect differences in the biologic or molecular properties of the distinct forms of LMP1 or possible immune selection.


1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 1595-1602 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Kenny ◽  
B. P. Dancik ◽  
L. Z. Florence ◽  
F. E. Nargang

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the carboxy-terminal portion of an actin gene (PAc1-A) isolated from Pinuscontorta var. latifolia (Engelm.). Pairwise comparisons of both nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were made among PAc1-A, the soybean actins SAc3 and SAc1, maize actin MAc1, chicken β-actin, and yeast β-actin. Of the other actins SAc3 was most similar to the PAc1-A amino acid sequence (91.3% identity) and yeast actin the least similar (78.3% identity). The intron in PAc1-A is present at the same location as the third intron found in MAc1, SAc1, and SAc3 actin genes. This conservation of intron position is unusual when compared with nonplant actin genes.


Author(s):  
L. Aurell ◽  
A. Olausson ◽  
G. Claeson

Through the work of Magnusson and co-workers leading to the elucidation of the primary structure of prothrombin including the amino acid sequences around the two bonds split by factor Xa it has been possible to design a synthetic chromogenic peptide substrate. Bz-Ile-Glu-Gly-Arg-pNA, specifically intended for the determination of factor Xa. Furthermore, additional substrates have been synthezised with various alterations in the amino acid sequence. The activity of factor Xa and other serine proteases within the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems towards these substrates will be discussed with special regard to their possible use in coagulation studies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 378-379 ◽  
pp. 157-160
Author(s):  
Jian Xiu Guo ◽  
Ni Ni Rao

Understanding the relationship between amino acid sequences and folding rates of proteins is an important challenge in computational and molecular biology. All existing algorithms for predicting protein folding rates have never taken into account the sequence coupling effects. In this work, a novel algorithm was developed for predicting the protein folding rates from amino acid sequences. The prediction was achieved on the basis of dipeptide composition, in which the sequence coupling effects are explicitly included through a series of conditional probability elements. Based on a non-redundant dataset of 99 proteins, the proposed method was found to provide an excellent agreement between the predicted and experimental folding rates of proteins when evaluated with the jackknife test. The correlation coefficient was 87.7% and the standard error was 2.04, which indicated the important contribution from sequence coupling effects to the determination of protein folding rates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A288-A288
Author(s):  
Adam S Kinne ◽  
Sanofar J Abdeen ◽  
Elijah S Parmer ◽  
Jennifer A Thystrup ◽  
Erik J Tillman ◽  
...  

Abstract Efruxifermin (EFX) is a novel Fc-fusion analog of human fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), currently in clinical development as a potential treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Each molecule of EFX consists of two modified FGF21 molecules, each attached at their N-termini to a human IgG1 Fc domain by a short polyglycine-serine linker. The FGF21 moiety of EFX incorporates three amino acid substitutions (L98R, P171G, and A180E relative to native FGF21). Two of these are proximal to the C-terminus (P171G and A180E), and reduce cleavage and inactivation by an endogenous protease, fibroblast activation protein (FAP), thereby prolonging its half-life. Fusion to human IgG1 Fc domain further extends circulating half-life, enabling once-weekly subcutaneous dosing. Accordingly, to support on-going clinical development of EFX, a specific assay is needed to distinguish intact EFX from both endogenous FGF21 and any in vivo biotransformation products of EFX that display reduced pharmacology. To maximize the antigenicity of EFX, FGF21 amino acid sequences were compared across species. Based on this, an antibody generation campaign was initiated in both rabbits and chickens. Comparison of titer responses against EFX and human FGF21 suggested that antisera from chickens was superior to rabbit antisera. Following a scaled-up, 12-week antibody campaign, antisera were purified by a combination of batch and column chromatographic procedures. By exploiting differences in structure and amino acid sequence of EFX relative to human FGF21, a purification strategy was designed to isolate chicken antibodies with increased specificity for EFX unique sequences. This reagent is being used as a capture antibody in the development of a noncompetitive ECLIA employing chemiluminescence detection. Presently, a number of different antibodies are being evaluated for potential pairing with the specific capture. We conclude that application of affinity purified chicken anti-EFX IgY will enable sensitive and specific determination of EFX in biological matrices with decreased cross-reactivity from endogenous hFGF21 and EFX metabolites.


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