The carboxy-terminus of protein 4.1r resembles Beta-tubulin.
The protein 4.1R is an isoform of a larger family of 4.1 proteins. It is known as a component of the plasma membrane skeleton, but it is also found at the centrosomes in interphase and mitosis. To investigate the properties of the carboxy terminal region of protein 4.1R, we raised antibodies against a peptide representing the last 14 amino acids of 4.1R. These antibodies crossreact with an epitope in beta-tubulin and stain the microtubule network by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, sequence comparison of the carboxy terminal 4.1R peptide sequence with tubulin reveals homology with a region at the end of helix 5 in beta-tubulin, but not alpha-tubulin. A potential function of the 4.1R carboxy terminus in regulating the formation of microtubule networks is discussed.
Fant
Xavier
X
Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, EH9 3JR, UK.
Merdes
Andreas
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018385:Centrosome / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011506:Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; C028841:erythrocyte membrane band 4.1 protein; C120557:erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1-like 1