Abstract
Pherophorins are extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins from Volvox that share homology with the sex-inducing pheromone. A novel pherophorin (pherophorin III) was characterized both with respect to expression pattern and proteolytic processing in vivo. Furthermore, it was shown that the pherophorins represent a protein family of ECM glycoproteins exhibiting a modular composition: their N-terminally located domain is a homolog of a domain found in the ECM glycoprotein SSG 185. Together with SSG 185, pherophorin I is a main component of the cellular zone within the ECM. The Volvox genome contains a tandem arrangement of genes encoding pherophorin II-related polypeptides. Inhibition of proteolytic processing of pherophorin II and III in vivo appears to result in the suppression of sexual induction.
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Abbreviations
- ECM:
-
extracellular matrix
- PCR:
-
polymerase chain reaction
- RACE:
-
rapid amplification of cDNA ends
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We wish to thank Dr. R. Deutzmann (Universität Regensburg, Germany) for sequencing peptides. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB43).
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Godl, K., Hallmann, A., Rappel, A. et al. Pherophorins: a family of extracellular matrix glycoproteins from Volvox structurally related to the sex-inducing pheromone. Planta 196, 781–787 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197345
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197345