title: Molecular cloning and expression study of Xenopus latent TGF-beta binding protein-1 (LTBP-1).
abstract: Latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein-1 (LTBP-1) is important in regulating the localization and activation of transforming growth factor beta. In this paper is reported the isolation of the full-length Xenopus LTBP-1 cDNA from screening a neurula embryo cDNA library. Sequence analysis of XLTBP-1 cDNA revealed an open reading frame of 4518 bp encoding a 1398 amino acid protein with a molecular mass of 154.1 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.65. The Xenopus XLTBP-1 shares 61 and 65% amino acid identity with the mouse and human LTBP-1, respectively. It contains 17 epidermal growth factor-like motifs and four eight-cysteine repeats (8-Cys). RNase protection assay revealed that XLTBP-1 is a maternal and zygotic gene, while whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis performed on embryos at different stages showed that during early Xenopus development, XLTBP-1 mRNA is expressed in the Spemann organizer, prechordal and chordal mesoderm, and later on in the organizer derived tissues. These findings suggest an important role for XLTBP-1 in embryo axis formation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Biologica, Facoltà di Scienze dell'Università di Napoli, Federico II, Napoli, Italy. quarto@unina.it
authors.forename: Natalina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Quarto
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D053779:Latent TGF-beta Binding Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C509032:LTBP1 protein, human; D053779:Latent TGF-beta Binding Proteins; C509033:Ltbp1 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029867:Xenopus Proteins