ISSN:
1471-4159
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract: We report here the sequences of two new proteins from Aplysia, aplycalcin and Aplysia neurocalcin. These proteins belong to a family of calcium-binding proteins, found primarily in vertebrate brain and retina, that have been proposed to play a role in calcium-dependent regulation of enzymes in signal transduction pathways. Like other members of this family, the Aplysia proteins have consensus sequences for myristoylation, bind calcium, and translocate from cytosol to membrane when the calcium level is raised above the resting intracellular concentration. Both proteins are relatively enriched in Aplysia nervous system, but are also found to a significant degree in other tissues. The expression of mRNA for these proteins in Aplysia nervous tissue is regulated during development, roughly paralleling the reported emergence of several forms of synaptic plasticity. The messages are present at low levels in stage 11, show a large increase by late stage 12, and decline to a plateau of ∼30% of the peak value afterward. On the basis of the properties of these proteins and by analogy with proposed functions of some of the retinal homologues, we suggest that these proteins may play a role in mediating calcium-dependent processes in neuronal function. The presence of both proteins in other tissues may suggest analogous roles for the proteins in other cell types.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1471-4159.1996.67030932.x
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