Large Microtubule-Associated Protein of T. brucei Has Tandemly Repeated, Near-Identical Sequences

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 241; no. 4864; pp. 459 - 462
• Main Authors: Schneider, Andre, Hemphill, Andrew, Wyler, Toni, Seebeck, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC The American Association for the Advancement of Science 22.07.1988; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acid sequencing; Amino acids; Analysis; Animals; Antibodies; Base Sequence; Biochemistry; Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology. Molecular biology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Compartmentation; Cell Membrane - ultrastructure; Cell membranes; Cloning, Molecular; Cytoskeleton; DNA; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; Microscopy, Electron; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - analysis; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - genetics; Microtubules; Microtubules - ultrastructure; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Nucleotide sequence; Proteins; Protozoa; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; RNA; Skeletal system; Skeleton; Trypanosoma brucei; Trypanosoma brucei brucei - analysis; Trypanosoma brucei brucei - genetics; Trypanosoma brucei brucei - ultrastructure; Trypanosome; Characterization; Protozoa; Nucleotide sequence; Repeated sequence; Ultrastructure; Plasma membrane; Rhizoflagellata; Cytoskeleton; Microtubule associated protein; Localization; Trypanosoma brucei; Aminoacid sequence
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.3393912

The parasitic protozoon Trypanosoma brucei contains a highly organized membrane skeleton, consisting of a dense array of parallel, singlet microtubules that are laterally interconnected and that are also in tight contact with the overlying cell membrane. A high molecular weight, heat-stable protein from this membrane skeleton was isolated that is localized along the microtubules. Protease digestion experiments and sequencing of a cloned gene segment showed that most of the protein is built up by more than 50 nearly identical tandem repeats with a periodicity of 38 amino acids.