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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Wilms tumor and the WT1 gene.

Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma is a pediatric kidney cancer arising from pluripotent embryonic renal precursors. Multiple genetic loci have been linked to Wilms tumorigenesis; positional cloning strategies have led to the identification of the WT1 tumor suppressor gene at chromosome 11p13. WT1 encodes a zinc finger transcription factor that is inactivated in the germline of children with genetic predisposition to Wilms tumor and in a subset of sporadic cancers. When present in the germline, specific heterozygous dominant-negative mutations are associated with severe abnormalities of renal and sexual differentiation, pointing to the essential role of WT1 for normal genitourinary development. The role of this tumor suppressor in normal organ-specific differentiation is also supported by the highly restricted temporal and spatial expression of WT1 in glomerular precursors of the developing kidney and by the failure of kidney development in wt1-null mice. Of two major alternative splicing products encoded by WT1, the (-KTS) isoform appears to mediate transcriptional activation of genes implicated in cellular differentiation, possibly also repressing proliferation-associated genes. The (+KTS) isoform, whose DNA-binding domain is disrupted by the insertion of three amino acids, may be involved in some aspect of mRNA processing. In addition to its function in genitourinary development, a role for WT1 in hematopoiesis is suggested by its aberrant expression and/or mutation in a subset of acute human leukemias. WT1 is also expressed in mesothelial cells; a specific oncogenic chromosomal translocation fusing the N-terminal domain of the Ewing sarcoma gene EWS to the three C-terminal zinc fingers of WT1 underlies desmoplastic small round cell tumor, an abdominal tumor thought to arise from the peritoneal lining. Understanding the distinct functional properties of WT1 isoforms and tumor-associated variants will provide unique insight into the link between normal organ-specific differentiation and malignancy.

Acute Disease↗

Mapping of synergistic components of weakly interacting protein-protein motifs using arrays of paired peptides.

Protein-protein recognition usually involves multiple interactions among different motifs that are scattered over protein surfaces. To identify such weak interactions, we have developed a novel double peptide synthesis (DS) method. This method allows us to map protein-protein interactions that involve two linear dis- continuous components from a polypeptide by the use of spatially addressable synergistic pairs of synthetic peptides. The DS procedure is based on the "SPOT" membrane-bound peptide synthesis technique, but to synthesize a mixture of two peptides, it uses both Fmoc (N-(9-fluorenyl)methoxycarbonyl))-alanine and Alloc-alanine at the first cycle. This allows their selective deprotection by either piperidine or tributyltin/palladium treatment, respectively. Using SPOT DS, we confirmed as a proof of principle that Elk-1 Ser(383) phosphorylation by ERK-2 kinase is stimulated by the presence of the Elk-1-docking domain. SPOT DS can also be used to dissect protein-protein motifs that define phosphatase substrate affinity. Using this technique, we identified three new regions in the insulin receptor that stimulate the dephosphorylation of the receptor by protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) 1B and presumably increase the selectivity of PTP for this substrate. These data demonstrate that the SPOT DS technique allows the identification of non-linear weakly interacting protein motifs, which are an important determinant of protein kinase and phosphatase substrate specificity and of protein-protein interactions in general.

Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques↗

Identification of filamin as a novel ligand for caveolin-1: evidence for the organization of caveolin-1-associated membrane domains by the actin cytoskeleton.

Reports on the ultrastructure of cells as well as biochemical data have, for several years, been indicating a connection between caveolae and the actin cytoskeleton. Here, using a yeast two-hybrid approach, we have identified the F-actin cross-linking protein filamin as a ligand for the caveolae-associated protein caveolin-1. Binding of caveolin-1 to filamin involved the N-terminal region of caveolin-1 and the C terminus of filamin close to the filamin-dimerization domain. In in vitro binding assays, recombinant caveolin-1 bound to both nonmuscle and muscle filamin, indicating that the interaction might not be cell type specific. With the use of confocal microscopy, colocalization of caveolin-1 and filamin was observed in elongated patches at the plasma membrane. Remarkably, when stress fiber formation was induced with Rho-stimulating Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1, the caveolin-1-positive structures became coaligned with stress fibers, indicating that there was a physical link connecting them. Immunogold double-labeling electron microscopy confirmed that caveolin-1-labeled racemose caveolae clusters were positive for filamin. The actin network, therefore, seems to be directly involved in the spatial organization of caveolin-1-associated membrane domains.

3T3 Cells↗

huASH1 protein, a putative transcription factor encoded by a human homologue of the Drosophila ash1 gene, localizes to both nuclei and cell-cell tight junctions.

During animal development, regions of the embryo become committed to position-specific identities, which are determined by spatially restricted expression of Hox/homeotic genes. This expression pattern is initially established by the activity of the segmentation genes and is subsequently maintained during the proliferative stage through the action of transcription factors encoded by the trithorax (trx) and Polycomb (Pc) groups of genes. trithorax (trx)and ash1 (absent, small, or homeotic 1) are members of the Drosophila trx group. Their products are associated with chromosomes and are believed to activate transcription of target genes through chromatin remodeling. Recently, we reported molecular studies indicating that TRX and ASH1 proteins act in concert to bind simultaneously to response elements located at close proximity within the same set of target genes. Extension of these and other studies to mammalian systems required identification and cloning of the mammalian homologue of ash1 (the mammalian homologue of trx, ALL-1, was previously cloned). We have identified a human expressed sequence tag (EST) clone with similarity to the SET domain of Drosophila ASH1, and used it to clone the human gene. huASH1 resides at chromosomal band 1q21. The gene is expressed in multiple tissues as an approximately 10.5-kb transcript and encodes a protein of 2962 residues. The protein contains a SET domain, a PHD finger, four AT hooks, and a region with homology to the bromodomain. The last region is not present in Drosophila ASH1, and as such might confer to the human protein a unique additional function. Using several anti-huASH1 Ab for immunostaining of cultured cells, we found that the protein is distributed in intranuclear speckles, and unexpectedly also in intercellular junctions. Double-immunofluorescence labeling of huASH1 and several junctional proteins localized the huASH1 protein into tight junctions. The significance of huASH1 dual location is discussed. In particular, we consider the possibility that translocation of the protein between the junctional membrane and the nucleus may be involved in adhesion-mediated signaling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification, structure, and differential expression of members of a BURP domain containing protein family in soybean.

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) exhibiting homology to a BURP domain containing gene family were identified from the Glycine max (L.) Merr. EST database. These ESTs were assembled into 16 contigs of variable sizes and lengths. Consistent with the structure of known BURP domain containing proteins, the translation products exhibit a modular structure consisting of a C-terminal BURP domain, an N-terminal signal sequence, and a variable internal region. The soybean family members exhibit 35-98% similarity in a -100-amino-acid C-terminal region, and a phylogenetic tree constructed using this region shows that some soybean family members group together in closely related pairs, triplets, and quartets, whereas others remain as singletons. The structure of these groups suggests that multiple gene duplication events occurred during the evolutionary history of this family. The depth and diversity of G. max EST libraries allowed tissue-specific expression patterns of the putative soybean BURPs to be examined. Consistent with known BURP proteins, the newly identified soybean BURPs have diverse expression patterns. Furthermore, putative paralogs can have both spatially and quantitatively distinct expression patterns. We discuss the functional and evolutionary implications of these findings, as well as the utility of EST-based analyses for identifying and characterizing gene families.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Category-specific visual identification of filtered objects in Alzheimer's disease.

The category-specific deficit in object identification as function of spatial frequency (SF) content and priming effect was investigated. Twenty-two patients with Alzheimer Disease (AD) and 24 control subjects performed an object identification task. The objects belonged to living and nonliving categories. In the study phase an episodic trace of objects was created. In the identification phase, each object was revealed in a sequence of frames wherein the object was represented by an increasingly less and less filtered image up to complete version. A recall phase followed immediately after the identification phase. While the priming was preserved in mild-AD but not in moderate-AD, no difference was observed in the recall task. Moreover, although patients showed a decline in performance for both categories compared to controls, this decline was more rapid for living things especially in patients with more severe disease. Present results indicate a semantic memory deficit along with a disruption of perceptual representation. Data were discussed referring to perceptual/functional, domain-specific knowledge, and prefrontal cortex (PFC) theories.

Aged↗

Xenopus Pax-2/5/8 orthologues: novel insights into Pax gene evolution and identification of Pax-8 as the earliest marker for otic and pronephric cell lineages.

Pax genes are a family of transcription factors playing fundamental roles during organogenesis. We have recently demonstrated the expression of Pax-2 during Xenopus embryogenesis [Heller N, Brändli AW (1997): Mech Dev 69: 83-104]. Here we report the cloning and characterization of Xenopus Pax-5 and Pax-8, two orthologues of the Pax-2/5/8 gene family. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates that the amphibian Pax-2/5/8 genes are close relatives of their mammalian counterparts and that all vertebrate Pax-2/5/8 genes are derived from a single ancestral gene. Xenopus Pax-2/5/8 genes are expressed in spatially and temporally overlapping patterns during development of at least seven distinct tissues. Most strikingly, Xenopus Pax-8 was identified as the earliest marker of the prospective otic placode and of the intermediate mesoderm, indicating that Pax-8 may play a central role in auditory and excretory system development. Comparison of the expression patterns of fish, amphibian, and mammalian Pax-2/5/8 genes revealed that the tissue specificity of Pax-2/5/8 gene family expression is overall evolutionarily conserved. The expression domains of individual orthologues can however vary in a species-specific manner. For example, the thyroid glands of mammals express Pax-8, while in Xenopus Pax-2 is expressed instead. Our findings indicate that differential silencing of Pax-2/5/8 gene expression may have occurred after the different classes of vertebrates began to evolve separately.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of an evolutionarily conserved 110 base-pair cis-acting regulatory sequence that governs Wnt-1 expression in the murine neural plate.

The generation of anterior-posterior polarity in the vertebrate brain requires the establishment of regional domains of gene expression at early somite stages. Wnt-1 encodes a signal that is expressed in the developing midbrain and is essential for midbrain and anterior hindbrain development. Previous work identified a 5.5 kilobase region located downstream of the Wnt-1 coding sequence which is necessary and sufficient for Wnt-1 expression in vivo. Using a transgenic mouse reporter assay, we have now identified a 110 base pair regulatory sequence within the 5.5 kilobase enhancer, which is sufficient for expression of a lacZ reporter in the approximate Wnt-1 pattern at neural plate stages. Multimers of this element driving Wnt-1 expression can partially rescue the midbrain-hindbrain phenotype of Wnt-1(-/-) embryos. The possibility that this region represents an evolutionarily conserved regulatory module is suggested by the identification of a highly homologous region located downstream of the wnt-1 gene in the pufferfish (Fugu rubripes). These sequences are capable of appropriate temporal and spatial activation of a reporter gene in the embryonic mouse midbrain; although, later aspects of the Wnt-1 expression pattern are absent. Genetic evidence has implicated Pax transcription factors in the regulation of Wnt-1. Although Pax-2 binds to the 110 base pair murine regulatory element in vitro, the location of the binding sites could not be precisely established and mutation of two putative low affinity sites did not abolish activation of a Wnt-1 reporter transgene in vivo. Thus, it is unlikely that Pax proteins regulate Wnt-1 by direct interactions with this cis-acting regulatory region. Our analysis of the 110 base pair minimal regulatory element suggests that Wnt-1 regulation is complex, involving different regulatory interactions for activation and the later maintenance of transgene expression in the dorsal midbrain and ventral diencephalon, and at the midbrain-hindbrain junction.

Animals↗

Identification of otx2 target genes and restrictions in ectodermal competence during Xenopus cement gland formation.

The homeobox gene otx2 is a key regulator of positional identity in vertebrates, however its downstream target genes and mechanism of action are not known. We have analyzed otx2 function during formation of the Xenopus cement gland, an organ that expresses otx2. The cement gland forms at early neurula from extreme anterior ectoderm and corresponds to the chin primordium of mammals. Previous studies (Blitz, I. and Cho, K. (1995) Development 121, 993-1004; Pannese, M., Polo, C., Andreazzoli, M., Vignali, R., Kablar, B., Barsacchi, G. and Boncinelli, E. (1995) Development 121, 707-720) showed that misexpressed otx2 could activate cement gland formation. However, it was not clear whether this was a direct effect of otx2 or a secondary consequence of other tissues induced by otx2. In this study we ask whether otx2 activity is spatially and temporally restricted in the ectoderm and whether cement gland-specific genes are direct targets of otx2. In order to control the timing of otx2 activity, we constructed a dexamethasone-inducible otx2 protein (otx2-GR) by fusion with the ligand-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor. We conclude first, that regionally restricted factors regulate otx2 activity since otx2-GR is able to activate the cement gland markers XCG and XAG only in ventrolateral ectoderm, and never in the neural plate. Second, we show that temporal responsiveness of the ectoderm to otx2-GR is limited, beginning only at mid-gastrula but continuing as late as tailbud stages. Third, we show that otx2-GR activates expression of the cement gland differentiation marker XCG in the absence of protein synthesis, identifying a direct target of otx2. otx2-GR can also activate expression of the endogenous otx2 gene, defining an autoregulatory loop. Fourth, we show that otx2-GR is sufficient to overcome the inhibitory effects of retinoic acid on cement gland formation, indicating that this effect is caused by failure to express otx2. Corroboratively, we show that otx2 autoactivation is prevented by retinoic acid. Together, these findings suggest that otx2 directly controls cement gland differentiation, and that spatial and temporal modulation of otx2 activity limits cement gland formation to the front of the embryo.

Animals↗

Identification of distinct topographical distributions of lumbar sympathetic and sensory neurons projecting to end organs with different functions in the cat.

A comparison has been made between the lumbar sensory and sympathetic pre- and postganglionic neurons that project in the lumbar splanchnic nerves and those that project in the caudal lumbar sympathetic trunk of the cat. The neuron cell bodies have been labeled retrogradely with horseradish peroxidase applied to the central end of their cut axons near the inferior mesenteric ganglion on one side, and the results have been compared with those obtained after labeling the contralateral lumbar sympathetic trunk of the same animal (Jänig and McLachlan, '86). The numbers, segmental distribution, location, and size of the labeled somata have been determined quantitatively. The data for individual animals confirm in every way those previously reported for separate experiments in different groups of animals. In addition, similar experiments were performed in which the neurons projecting in the white rami of either L4 or L5 were labeled. This procedure labeled populations of neurons that overlapped both splanchnic and paravertebral populations. Consideration of the spatial distributions and numbers of sensory and preganglionic neurons with destinations in somatic and visceral domains has enabled us to describe the different topography of these neuron populations with respect to function.

Animals↗

Activation function-1 domain of androgen receptor contributes to the interaction between subnuclear splicing factor compartment and nuclear receptor compartment. Identification of the p102 U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle-binding protein as a coactivator for the receptor.

In the androgen receptor (AR), most of its transactivation activity is mediated via the activation function-1 (AF-1). By employing yeast two-hybrid assay, we isolated a cDNA sequence encoding a protein binding to AR-AF-1. This protein, named ANT-1 (AR N-terminal domain transactivating protein-1), enhanced the ligand-independent autonomous AF-1 transactivation function of AR or glucocorticoid receptor but did not enhance that of estrogen receptor alpha. In contrast, the ANT-1 did not enhance any ligand-dependent AF-2 activities. Furthermore, the ligand-independent interaction between AR-AF-1 and ANT-1 was confirmed in vivo and in vitro. The ANT-1 sequence was identical to that of a protein that binds to U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle, a human homologue of yeast splicing factor Prp6p, involved in spliceosome. ANT-1 was compartmentalized into 20-40 coarse splicing factor compartment speckles against the background of the diffuse reticular distribution. AR colocalized with ANT-1 only in the diffusely distributed area, whereas the ANT-1 speckles were spatially distinct from but surrounded by the AR compartments. The active gene transcription has been shown to couple simultaneously with pre-mRNA processing at the periphery of the splicing factor compartment. The molecular interaction between two spatially distinct subnuclear compartments mediated by ANT-1 may therefore recruit AR into the transcription-splicing-coupling machinery.

Animals↗

Chronic neurocognitive effects of critical illness.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Until relatively recently critical care practitioners have focused on survival of their patients and not long-term outcomes. An increasing body of research has examined patient outcomes beyond discharge from the intensive care unit and hospital. One area of focus is neurobehavioral outcomes including neurocognitive sequelae and neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. Cognitive functions are brain-based or mental activities that involve acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using information and include domains such as memory, attention, executive function, mental processing speed, spatial abilities, and general intelligence. It is known from other medical specialties that impaired cognitive function can have a broad, substantial, and long-lasting impact on a patient's life. This paper examines the current evidence for neurocognitive impairments in survivors of critical illness. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies support the hypothesis that critical illness can lead to significant impairments in neurocognitive function. Current work indicates that the neurocognitive impairments can last for months or years after a patient arrives home and may have important consequences for quality of individual and family life and for ability to return to work as well as substantial economic costs. The mechanisms of neurocognitive impairments are not fully understood, but in acute respiratory distress syndrome hypoxemic burden appears important. SUMMARY: Among the potential consequences of critical illness are now included neurocognitive impairments. Future research should include the search for strategies for the early identification of neurocognitive impairments, mechanisms of brain injury, and therapeutic modalities designed to prevent or decrease neurocognitive morbidity.

Anesthesia↗

Identification and characterization of zinc finger encoding genes from the tumoral exocrine pancreatic cell line AR42J.

Zinc finger transcription factors are DNA-binding proteins that are known to determine the identity of cells by regulating cell-specific gene expression. In addition, mutations in some members of this family have been found to be associated with several neoplasias, including Wilms' tumor and leukemias. Because the mechanisms that regulate normal, as well as neoplastic, pancreatic cell differentiation are poorly understood, we are searching for pancreas-enriched transcription factors that may determine the identity of pancreatic cells. Towards this end, we have used the polymerase chain reaction and degenerate primers against the highly conserved (Cys2-His2) zinc finger domain to amplify novel transcription factor encoding cDNAs from the well-characterized pancreatic acinar cell line AR42J. Using this approach, we have identified 17 different zinc finger encoding cDNAs (AZF-1 to -17). Sequence analysis shows that all of these clones encode for different zinc finger peptides which share the consensus DNA binding motif with the Drosophila transcription factor krüppel. As a first step in the characterization of these genes, the purified PCR products were used to determine their spatial pattern of expression by northern blot analysis. Using these techniques, we find that numerous zinc finger encoding genes are expressed in AR42J acinar cells as well as in normal adult rat pancreas and suggest that they may play a role as transcription factors in exocrine pancreatic cells.

Age Factors↗

CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300 and RNA polymerase II colocalize in transcriptionally active domains in the nucleus.

The spatial organization of transcription- associated proteins is an important control mechanism of eukaryotic gene expression. Here we analyzed the nuclear distribution of the transcriptional coactivators CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300 in situ by confocal laser scanning microscopy, and in vivo complex formation by coimmunoprecipitation. A subpopulation of CBP and p300 is targeted to active sites of transcription and partially colocalizes with hyper- and hypophosphorylated RNA polymerase II (pol II) in discrete regions of variable size throughout the nucleus. However, the coactivators were found in tight association with hypophosphorylated, but not hyperphosphorylated pol II. Transcriptional inhibition induced a relocation of CBP/p300 and pol II into speckles. Moreover, double and triple immunofluorescence analyses revealed the presence of CBP, p300, and pol II in a subset of promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies. Our results provide evidence for a dynamic spacial link between coactivators of transcription and the basal transcription machinery in discrete nuclear domains dependent upon the transcriptional activity of the cell. The identification of pol II in CBP/PML-containing nuclear bodies supports the idea that transcription takes place at PML bodies.

Acetyltransferases↗

Caenorhabditis elegans has scores of homoeobox-containing genes.

Homoeobox-containing genes control cell identities in particular spatial domains, cell lineages, or cell types during the development of Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, and they probably control similar processes in vertebrates. More than 80 genes with homoeoboxes that have sequence similarities ranging from 25 to 100% have been isolated by genetic means or by DNA hybridization to previously isolated genes. We synthesized 500-2,000-fold degenerate oligonucleotides corresponding to a set of well-conserved eight amino acid sequences from the helix-3 region of the homoeodomain. We screened C. elegans genomic libraries with these probes and identified 49 putative homoeobox-containing loci. DNA sequencing confirmed that eight out of ten selected loci had sequences corresponding to the conserved helix-3 region plus additional flanking sequence similarity. One of these genes contained a sequence corresponding to a complete pou-domain and another was closely related to the homoeobox-containing genes caudal/cdx-1. The putative homoeobox loci were mapped to the physical contig map of C. elegans, allowing the identification of potentially corresponding genes from the correlated genetic map. We estimate that the number of homoeobox-containing genes in C. elegans is at least 60, constituting approximately 1% of the estimated total number of genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

GLIS3, a novel member of the GLIS subfamily of Krüppel-like zinc finger proteins with repressor and activation functions.

In this study, we describe the identification and characterization of a novel transcription factor GLI-similar 3 (GLIS3). GLIS3 is an 83.8 kDa nuclear protein containing five C2H2-type Krüppel-like zinc finger motifs that exhibit 93% identity with those of GLIS1, however, little homology exists outside their zinc finger domains. GLIS3 can function as a repressor and activator of transcription. Deletion mutant analysis determined that the N- and C-termini are required for optimal transcriptional activity. GLIS3 binds to the GLI-RE consensus sequence and is able to enhance GLI-RE-dependent transcription. GLIS3(DeltaC496), a dominant-negative mutant, inhibits transcriptional activation by GLIS3 and GLI1. Whole mount in situ hybridization on mouse embryos from stage E6.5 through E14.5 demonstrated that GLIS3 is expressed in specific regions in developing kidney and testis and in a highly dynamic pattern during neurulation. From E11.5 through E12.5 GLIS3 was strongly expressed in the interdigital regions, which are fated to undergo apoptosis. The temporal and spatial pattern of GLIS3 expression observed during embryonic development suggests that it may play a critical role in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes during development. Both the repressor and activation functions of GLIS3 may be involved in this control.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interactions of aryloxyphenoxypropionic acids with sensitive and resistant acetyl-coenzyme a carboxylase by homology modeling and molecular dynamic simulations.

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) has been identified as one of the most important targets of herbicides. In the present study, we constructed homology models of the carboxyl-transferase (CT) domain of ACCase from sensitive and resistant foxtail and used these models as templates to study the molecular mechanism of herbicide resistance and stereochemistry-activity relationships of aryloxyphenoxypropionates (APPs). In the homology modeling structures, the dimer of the CT domain was formed by the side-to-side arrangement of the two monomers, in such a way that the N domain of one molecule is placed next to the C domain of the other. The dimeric association of sensitive foxtail CT was found to differ from that of resistant foxtail CT, and the spatial orientation of two key residues, Leu-695 and Ile-695, in these dimers also differed. The mutation of Ile to Leu may perturb the conformation of the dimeric interface, which may account for the molecular mechanism of herbicide resistance. Further docking analysis indicated that the binding model of high-active compounds is similar to that in the crystal structure of the enzyme-ligand complex. The different spatial orientations of ester groups of the isomers of APPs may explain the stereochemistry-activity relationship. Ser-698 formed a H-bonding interaction with all of the docked ligands, while Tyr-728 formed a pi-pi stacking interaction with some of the APPs. These findings may enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanism of herbicide resistance and stereochemistry-activity relationships, which may provide a new starting point for the identification of more potent inhibitors against both sensitive and resistant ACCase.

Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase↗

Integrin (alpha v beta 3)-ligand interaction. Identification of a heterodimeric RGD binding site on the vitronectin receptor.

The vitronectin receptor mediates cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix proteins vitronectin, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and thrombospondin in an RGD-dependent manner. We previously demonstrated the direct interaction between the vitronectin receptor and an RGD-containing peptide by photoaffinity labeling the receptor with 125I-sulfosuccinimidyl-2-(p-azido-salicylamido)-1,3'-dithioprop ion ate (SASD)-GRGDSPK (Smith, J. W., and Cheresh, D. A. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 18726-18731). In that report, we identified amino acid residues 61-203 of the beta-subunit as proximal to the ligand binding site. Here we demonstrate that 125I-SASD-GRGDSPK affinity labels the alpha-subunit of the receptor at least two distinct sites within the region encompassing residues 139-349. Both of these regions are within the putative divalent cation binding region of the alpha-subunit. Collectively, our results suggest that discrete amino-terminal domains of both subunits of the receptor contribute to the structure of the ligand binding domain and furthermore that the ligand and divalent cation binding domains are spatially and functionally linked.

Affinity Labels↗