title: Molecular cloning and characterization of first organic matrix protein from sclerites of red coral, Corallium rubrum.
abstract: We report here for the first time the isolation and characterization of a protein from the organic matrix (OM) of the sclerites of the alcyonarian, Corallium rubrum. This protein named scleritin is one of the predominant proteins extracted from the EDTA-soluble fraction of the OM. The entire open reading frame (ORF) was obtained by comparing amino acid sequences from de novo mass spectrometry and Edman degradation with an expressed sequence tag library dataset of C. rubrum. Scleritin is a secreted basic phosphorylated protein which exhibits a short amino acid sequence of 135 amino acids and a signal peptide of 20 amino acids. From specific antibodies raised against peptide sequences of scleritin, we obtained immunolabeling of scleroblasts and OM of the sclerites which provides information on the biomineralization pathway in C. rubrum.
authors.affiliation: Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Avenue Saint-Martin, MC-98000, Monaco, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Debreuil
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tambutté
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zoccola
authors.forename: Emeline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deleury
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guigonis
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Allemand
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tambutté
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D030562:Databases, Protein; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals