title: Cloning of a CXCR4 homolog in chondrostean fish and characterization of the CXCR4-specific structural features.
abstract: The chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand SDF-1 are essential components of hematopoiesis, organogenesis and immunomodulation in mammalian species. We cloned a cDNA encoding CXCR4 homolog of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), a representative of chondrostean fishes. The deduced amino acid sequence of sterlet CXCR4 is almost equally distant from mammalian and teleost CXCR4 (66-68% identical residues). Percent identity with the other chemokine receptors varies in the 30-35% range. The CXCR4 sequences from the three phylogenetically diverged lineages were compared with the sequences of the other chemokine receptors to determine the CXCR4-specific structural elements that were conserved during vertebrate evolution. The characteristic residues and/or motifs are located predominantly in the intracellular and extracellular regions and in the third, fourth and fifth transmembrane domains. The data presented may be helpful for structure-function analysis of the CXCR4 ligand binding and signal transduction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Alabyev
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Najakshin
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Mechetina
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Taranin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4