title: conZA8 encodes an abundant protein targeted to the developing macronucleus in Euplotes crassus.
abstract: During macronuclear development in the ciliate Euplotes crassus, micronuclear-derived chromosomes undergo a series of rearrangements that include polytenization, DNA splicing, chromosome fragmentation, and telomere addition and processing. Although cis-acting signals that may function in the regulation of these events have been characterized, the proteins that mediate these events have not yet been identified. To identify development-specific factors that may be involved in DNA rearrangement, we previously isolated clones of a number of genes that are expressed only during early macronuclear development. Here, we report the genomic and cDNA sequences of one of these genes, conZA8. The analysis indicates that the conZA8 gene encodes a novel, 468-amino acid, proline-rich protein. Antibodies were raised against both a recombinant form of the conZA8 protein and an internal peptide. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analyses indicated that the conZA8 protein is highly abundant, expressed only during the polytene chromosome stage of macronuclear development, and localized to the developing macronucleus. Possible functions of the conZA8 protein are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department orf Biochemistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06032, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Klobutcher
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016812:Euplotes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C407404:conZA8 protein, Euplotes crassus