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Association of the sea urchin EGF‐related peptide, EGIP‐D, with fasciclin I‐related ECM proteins from the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina
Author(s) -
Hirate Yoshikazu,
Tomita Kazuo,
Yamamoto Shinji,
Kobari Kazuki,
Uemura Isao,
Yamasu Kyo,
Suyemitsu Takashi
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-169x.1999.00446.x
Subject(s) - sea urchin , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , cytoplasm , strongylocentrotus purpuratus , epidermal growth factor , embryo , biochemistry , receptor
Exogastrula‐inducing peptides (EGIP) of the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina are endogenous peptides related to epidermal growth factor (EGF), which induce exogastrulation in the embryo. Recently, a protein(s) from sea urchin embryos that binds to one of the EGIP, EGIP‐D (EGIP‐D‐binding protein, EBP) was purified. The isolation and characterization of the cDNA clones for two EBP proteins (EBP‐α and EBP‐β) is reported. The two EBP proteins were highly similar in structure to each other; both possessed putative cell‐binding sites and two repeated sequences characteristically seen in the insect neuronal cell adhesion protein, fasciclin I. The EBP showed similarity with other sea urchin proteins HLC‐32, Bep1, and Bep4. It has been confirmed that bacterially expressed EBP proteins associate with EGIP‐D as does native EBP, suggesting the interaction between EGF‐related proteins and fasciclin I‐related proteins. An EBP transcript of 1.4 kb was strongly expressed in immature ovaries but not in immature testes. A somewhat lower level of the transcript existed in unfertilized eggs and the amount gradually declined to an almost undetectable level by the pluteus stage. The EBP proteins were present throughout embryonic development at nearly constant levels. Although most of the proteins were distributed rather evenly in the cytoplasm, a small portion was detected on the apical surface of blastomeres and ectodermal cells, showing that EBP are components of the hyaline layer.