title: A rhodopsin-like protein in Cyanophora paradoxa: gene sequence and protein immunolocalization.
abstract: Here, we report the DNA sequence of the rhodopsin gene in the alga Cyanophora paradoxa (Glaucophyta). The primers were designed according to the conserved regions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic rhodopsin-like proteins deposited in the GenBank. The sequence consists of 1,272 bp comprised of 5 introns. The correspondent protein, named Cyanophopsin, showed high identity to rhodopsin-like proteins of Archea, Bacteria, Fungi, and Algae. At the N-terminal, the protein is characterized by a region with no transmembrane alpha-helices (80 aa), followed by a region with 7alpha-helices (219 aa) and a shorter 35-aa C-terminal region. The DNA sequence of the N-terminal region was expressed in E. coli and the recombinant purified peptide was used as antigen in hens to obtain polyclonal antibodies. Indirect immunofluorescence in C. paradoxa cells showed a marked labeling of the muroplast (aka cyanelle) membrane.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Biofisica, CNR, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Frassanito
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barsanti
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Passarelli
authors.forename: Valtere
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Evangelista
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gualtieri
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D044424:Cyanophora / Q000235:genetics*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D021381:Protein Transport; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012243:Rhodopsin