Isolation and characterization of a mini-collagen gene encoding a nematocyst capsule protein from a reef-building coral, Acropora donei.
Genomic and cDNA clones of a mcol gene encoding mini-collagen (MCOL), a nematocyst capsule protein, have been isolated from a reef-building coral, Acropora donei (Anthozoa). The gene and its flanking regions, comprising 5382 bp and covering three exons and two introns, were sequenced. Exons 2 and 3 together have an open reading frame which can encode a MCOL of 176 amino acids (aa). The coral MCOL has all the characteristic regions present in the four hydra MCOL specified by the four mcol cDNA clones previously isolated from Hydra magnipapillata (Hydrozoa) by Kurz et al. [J. Cell Biol. 115 (1991) 1159-1169], including a central Gly-Xaa-Yaa region and flanking Pro-rich and Cys-repeat regions. This observation suggests that a mcol family is highly conserved in Anthozoa and Hydrozoa, and also that the characteristic regions present in MCOL are essential for the structure and function of these peptides.
Department of Aquatic Biosciences, Tokyo University of Fisheries, Japan.
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W
Wang
M
M
Omori
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T
Hayashibara
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Shimoike
M
M
Hatta
T
T
Sugiyama
T
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Fujisawa
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003063:Cnidaria / Q000235:genetics*; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D003094:Collagen