title: Structural and biochemical similarities reveal a family of proteins related to the MAL proteolipid, a component of detergent-insoluble membrane microdomains.
abstract: The MAL gene encodes a proteolipid protein displaying a cell type-specific pattern of expression, including T lymphocytes, myelin-forming cells, and epithelial renal MDCK cells, which has been recently identified as a component of detergent-insoluble membranes known to be enriched in glycolipids and cholesterol. Sequence alignment revealed a high degree of conservation of the MAL protein across species and evidenced the existence of a significant level of overall identity between MAL and two other proteins, BENE and the plasmolipin proteolipid. Moreover, using subcellular fractionation of transiently transfected COS-7 cells, both MAL and BENE were identified in detergent-resistant membranes. These results suggest the existence of a novel family of MAL-related proteins (including MAL, BENE, and plasmolipin) with primary structure homologies and with the distinctive features of having unusual biochemical properties such as lipid-like behaviour and/or the ability to reside in glycolipid-enriched membrane microdomains.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puertollano
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D062806:Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C569026:MAL protein, human; C569027:Mal protein, mouse; C569028:Mal protein, rat; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D062806:Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids