ABSTRACT
The IP1 protein of trout CNS myelin as well as an IP1/P(0) chimeric protein were stably expressed in CHO cells. Successful targeting of the recombinant proteins to the membrane surface was verified by immunofluorescence staining. Full-length expression of IP1 could be confirmed by Western blot analysis of proteins extracted from stably transfected CHO-cells. The adhesive properties of IP1 were studied by an in vitro aggregation assay in which microscopic examination was combined with electronic particle counting. While IP1 conveyed only a weak increase in cell aggregation of transfected CHO cells, the IP1/P0 chimera was much more effective. In the presence of specific antibodies, cell aggregation was strongly reduced. The adhesive properties of P(0)-like proteins are discussed considering recent crystallographic data on the atomic structure of the extracellular domain of mammalian P(0).
Subject(s)
Central Nervous System/physiology , Fish Proteins , Myelin P0 Protein , Myelin Sheath/chemistry , Trout , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , CHO Cells , Cell Adhesion , Central Nervous System/chemistry , Cricetinae , Models, Molecular , Molecular Sequence Data , Myelin P0 Protein/chemistry , Myelin P0 Protein/genetics , Myelin P0 Protein/metabolism , Myelin P0 Protein/physiology , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/physiology , TransfectionABSTRACT
The IP gene of trout encodes two Po-like glycoproteins which are expressed by oligodendrocytes in the fish CNS. A 679 bp fragment of its 5'-flanking region was isolated from a genomic library and sequenced. The transcription start point was determined 124 bp upstream the ATG initiator codon by primer extension analysis. Apart from a modified TATA-box and an inverted CCAAT-box located at canonical distances from the transcription start site several eucaryotic cis-acting regulatory elements were identified in the 679 bp upstream region, including an AP-1 binding site, a brain specific Sp1 motif, a cyclic AMP responsive element and a consensus sequence for POU homeodomain protein binding. The occurence of respective DNA-binding proteins for Sp1, AP-1 and POU in the nuclei of trout oligodendrocyte progenitor cells was verified by gel retardation experiments. Functional activity of various subfragments of the 679 bp upstream region was demonstrated by CAT reporter gene analysis. A computer-assisted sequence alignment of the trout IP 5'-flanking end with the corresponding region of the mammalian PLP gene promoter revealed four sites of high homology, while similarity with the mammalian Po gene promotor was low. The results are discussed with respect to the phylogenetic shift from Po-like proteins to PLP during evolution of the vertebrate CNS myelin sheath.
