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A region of the 75 kDa neurotrophin receptor homologous to the death domains of TNFR‐I and Fas
Author(s) -
Chapman Barbara S.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(95)01113-s
Subject(s) - neurotrophin , receptor , homologous chromosome , low affinity nerve growth factor receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , gene
Members of the NTR/TNFR family mediate apoptosis in many tissues, yet sequence homology has not been detected in their intracellular domains except for a ‘death domain’ in TNFR‐I and Fas. Here, a region of the 75 kDa neurotrophin receptor (NTR) has been aligned with this apoptosis‐inducing motif. Peptides at the carboxyl terminus of each domain potentially form amphiphilic helices, one of which (in NTR) resembles mastoparan, a G‐protein activating peptide. Molecular models of three death‐region peptides suggest that observed sequence similarities reflect a common structure, perhaps capable of undergoing an induced coil to helix transition.