title: Differential targeting of closely related ECM glycoproteins: the pherophorin family from Volvox.
abstract: The alga Volvox carteri represents one of the simplest multicellular organisms. Its extracellular matrix (ECM) is modified under developmental control, e.g. under the influence of the sex-inducing pheromone that triggers development of males and females at a concentration below 10(-16) M. A novel ECM glycoprotein (pherophorin-S) synthesized in response to this pheromone was identified and characterized. Although being a typical member of the pherophorins, which are identified by a C-terminal domain with sequence homology to the sex-inducing pheromone, pherophorin-S exhibits a completely novel set of properties. In contrast to the other members of the family, which are found as part of the insoluble ECM structures of the cellular zone, pherophorin-S is targeted to the cell-free interior of the spherical organism and remains in a soluble state. A main structural difference is the presence of a polyhydroxyproline spacer in pherophorin-S that is linked to a saccharide containing a phosphodiester bridge between two arabinose residues. Sequence comparisons indicate that the self-assembling proteins that create the main parts of the complex Volvox ECM have evolved from a common ancestral gene.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl Biochemie I, Universität Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Godl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hallmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wenzl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sumper
mesh_terms: D020418:Algal Proteins; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001089:Arabinose / Q000737:chemistry; D001692:Biological Transport; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D020418:Algal Proteins; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010455:Peptides; D010675:Pheromones; C011083:polyproline; D001089:Arabinose; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases