title: Molluscan sperm proteins: Ensis minor.
abstract: The three major proteins, EM1, EM5 and EM6, from the mature sperm of the bivalve mollusc Ensis minor have been partially sequenced in order to establish which category they belong to and their potential for phosphorylation. Protein EM1 is protamine-like with about 50% basic amino acids, some of which are included in SK(R) repeats. Three SPXX potential phosphorylation sites were observed in the N-terminal domain. EM1 does not fold (Giancotti et al. (1983) Eur. J. Biochem. 136, 509-516). Protein EM6 (approx. 270 residues) is histone H1-like, having a globular domain homologous to other H1 family proteins. The N-domain of EM6 contains SK(R) repeats like EM1, but there are few, if any, SPXX sites in the chain. Proteins EM1 and EM6 are the two proteins specific for mature sperm. Protein EM5, of about 150 residues and present at lower levels than EM1 and EM6, is also an H1-family molecule. A sequence from its globular domain shows close homology to chicken H5 and to sea urchin somatic H1. Its presence may relate to the existence of a low level of nucleosomal structure.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica, Università di Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giancotti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buratti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crane-Robinson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008974:Mollusca / Q000737:chemistry*; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D011479:Protamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C073657:EM5 protein, Ensis minor; C073658:EM6 protein, Ensis minor; D006657:Histones; D011479:Protamines