The Journal of Biochemistry
Online ISSN : 1756-2651
Print ISSN : 0021-924X
Cloning and Sequencing of the Gene for a Tetrahymena Fimbrin-Like Protein
Atsushi WatanabeIzuru YonemuraKohsuke GondaOsamu Numata
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2000 Volume 127 Issue 1 Pages 85-94

Details
Abstract

Tetrahymena F-actin-binding protein, which induces bundling of Tetrahymena F-actin, was localized to a division furrow during cytokinesis. We report here the cloning and characterization of the gene and cDNA of a Tetrahymena F-actin-binding protein. The cDNA encodes a protein comprising 579 deduced amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 65.9 kDa. The predicted amino acid sequence shares 37.7, 41.8, and 39% identity with the sequences of yeast fimbrin, Arabidopsis thaliana fimbrin, and Dictyostelium discoideum plastin, respectively. The Tetrahymena F-actin-binding protein also shares two actin-binding domains previously identified in the fimbrin/plastin family, but lacks the EF-hand Ca2+-binding motif, suggesting that this protein is a novel-fimbrin-like protein in Tetrahymena. Moreover, we cloned a genomic DNA encoding the Tetrahymena fimbrin-like protein and performed Southern and Northern hybridizations. The results indicate that the genomic DNA possesses 9 introns and that both the gene and transcript of Tetrahymena fimbrin-like protein are single. Thus, we suggest that Tetrahymena fimbrin-like protein localizes to the division furrow and probably cross-links actin filaments in a Ca2+-insensitive manner during cytokinesis.

Content from these authors
© The Japanese Biochemical Society
Previous article Next article
feedback
Top