title: Identification and cellular localization of the actin-binding protein ABP-120 from Entamoeba histolytica.
abstract: Several actin-binding proteins participate in the morphological changes that occur during amoeboid movement. The gene encoding one of these proteins, the gelation factor ABP-120, was identified and characterized from trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica. The sequence contains 2574 nucleotides, with an open reading frame of 858 amino acids, giving a protein of 93 kDa belonging to the spectrin family. The N-terminal domain of ABP-120 from E. histolytica revealed a consensus site for actin binding homologous to the actin-binding sites of ABP-120 of Dictyostelium discoideum, alpha-actinin and spectrin. Analysis of the central domain revealed the presence of four repeats of a 73-amino-acid motif constituting 31% of the protein. In addition, a stretch of 105 amino acids was highly divergent when compared with the C-terminal domain of D. discoideum ABP-120. This sequence showed short motifs that are homologous to microtubule-binding domains. We found that ABP-120 from E. histolytica binds to F-actin. In addition, upon motility of the parasite, this protein localized in the pseudopod and the uroid region, implying a role for ABP-120 in movement and capping of surface receptors in E. histolytica.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U389, Institut Pasteu, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sansonetti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guillén
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000378:metabolism*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C060680:abpC protein, Dictyostelium; D005982:Glutathione Transferase