title: Analysis of an ascidian integrin provides new insight into early evolution of collagen recognition.
abstract: AlphaI domain integrins have been found in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. We produced Ciona alpha1I domain as a recombinant protein. It did not recognize fibril-forming collagens or bind to GFOGER or other similar motifs in triple-helical peptides. No GFOGER motifs were found in Ciona collagens. As Ciona alpha1I bound to collagen IX, we propose that before the emergence of GFOGER-dependent collagen receptors in vertebrates, alphaI domain integrins might have been able to bind to collagen with alternative mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland. miratu@utu.fi
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tulla
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huhtala
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jäälinoja
authors.forename: Jarmo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Käpylä
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Farndale
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ala-Kokko
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Jyrki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heino
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D016023:Integrins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D016023:Integrins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D003094:Collagen