title: The primary structure of bovine chromogranin A: a representative of a class of acidic secretory proteins common to a variety of peptidergic cells.
abstract: We have determined the primary structure of bovine chromogranin A as a first step in the elucidation of the function of this widespread protein. After oligonucleotide screening of a cDNA library of bovine adrenal medulla, a clone (insert length 1.9 kb) containing the entire coding region for chromogranin A was isolated and sequenced. The authenticity of the sequence was verified by comparison with N-terminal, several internal, and C-terminal amino acid sequences as well as the amino acid composition of chromogranin A. The cDNA clone hybridized to an mRNA of 2.1 kb and, after in vitro transcription-translation, yielded a polypeptide with a similar electrophoretic mobility in SDS gels to chromogranin A. The polypeptide chain of chromogranin A comprises 431 amino acid residues, corresponding to an unmodified protein of 48 kd, and is preceded by a cleaved signal peptide of 18 amino acid residues. Interesting features of the chromogranin A structure include repeated clusters of glutamic acid residues, the occurrence of eight potential dibasic cleavage sites, six of which are located in the C-terminal domain, and the presence, in the N-terminal domain, of -Arg-Gly-Asp- (RGD), a three amino acid sequence involved in the binding of several constitutively secreted proteins to cell membranes.
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005796:Genes; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D004247:DNA