title: Identification and structural characterization of the 75-kDa rabbit zona pellucida protein.
abstract: A cDNA (rc75) encoding a 75-kDa rabbit zona pellucida (ZP) glycoprotein (R75) has been cloned and sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequence consists of 676 amino acids including seven potential N-glycosylation sites. The cDNA hybridizes to a 2.4-kilobase mRNA in ovary that is not detectable in other rabbit tissues. The R75 mRNA was also found to be expressed during the early stages of rabbit ovarian development (2-6 weeks of age) when the ovary contains primordial, primary, and early secondary follicles. The deduced amino acid sequence of rc75 has 77% similarity to the mouse ZP2 protein but no similarity to mouse ZP3. R75 also contains regions with 35-55% similarity to a previously cloned rabbit 55-kDa ZP protein. Monte Carlo simulation comparison confirmed that R75 has a significant probability of homology with mouse ZP2 and the rabbit 55-kDa ZP protein. Antibodies were developed against a fragment of R75 (rc75a cDNA) expressed in the pEX expression vector. These antibodies were used to confirm that the expressed protein contained epitopes found in the native rabbit ZP glycoprotein. These data suggest that some, but not all, ZP proteins may be conserved among different species and that within a species ZP proteins may share similar regions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schwoebel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Timmons
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Dunbar
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA; D004527:Egg Proteins; D005260:Female; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010053:Ovary / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000737:chemistry*; D000072216:Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins
chemical_list: D004527:Egg Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000072216:Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins; C000606520:Zp2 protein, mouse; C000606521:Zp3 protein, mouse; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA