title: Identification of residues critical for the cell-membrane-penetrating activity of zebrafish neuroglobin.
abstract: Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a globin found in the vertebrate brain. Recently, we found that zebrafish Ngb can translocate into cells and clarified that module M1 of zebrafish Ngb is important for protein transduction. In the present study, we used site-directed mutagenesis to identify residues of module M1 that are important for protein transduction. We show that Lys7, Lys9, Lys21, and Lys23 of zebrafish Ngb are crucial for its activity. Since these residues are conserved among fishes, but not among mammals, birds, or amphibians, the ability to penetrate cell membranes may be a unique characteristic of fish Ngb proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakasugi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002477:Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D022082:Cellular Structures / Q000378:metabolism*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D005914:Globins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000078787:Neuroglobin; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000078787:Neuroglobin; D005914:Globins