title: Leishmania donovani: characterization of a 38-kDa membrane protein that cross-reacts with the mammalian G-protein transducin.
abstract: We investigated the presence in Leishmania donovani promastigotes of proteins with homology to the G-proteins known to mediate signal transduction in other organisms. [alpha 32P]GTP binding experiments revealed the presence in the promastigote membrane of GTP-binding sites with high affinity and specificity. Experiments with antisera directed against mammalian G-proteins showed that the promastigotes possess a 38-kDa protein (p38) which strongly reacts with an antiserum directed against a decapeptide containing the C-terminal sequence of transducin, the G-protein that mediates visual signal transduction. The interaction of p38 with the antiserum is specifically blocked by the decapeptide antigen. p38 is enriched in plasma membranes and is absent in cytosol and in a mitochondria-enriched fraction. p38 was also detected in two other Leishmania species, L. mexicana and L. major. The migration of p38 upon sucrose gradient centrifugation of detergent extract of L. donovani membranes corresponded to Mr of approximately 70,000, indicating that p38 is part of an oligomeric structure. The findings suggest that p38 may be a component of a transmembrane signal transduction system in Leishmania.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cassel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoubi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Glusman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cukierman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rotman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zilberstein
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D001665:Binding Sites; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000032:analysis; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000032:analysis; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015293:Transducin / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D015293:Transducin