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Lexicon — Words and phrases at the growing edge
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Lexicon m Words and Phrases at the Growing Edge Contributions, corrections, suggestions and comments are invited. The aim is to be concise; eg word, definition in one sentence, [reference to an article where more can be found.
Processosome A hypothetical sno RNP complex involved in processing of prerRNA in the nucleolus. (Fournier M J and Maxwell E S TIBS 18, 131-135, 1993)
Contributions by M J M G de Matas and F Vella
Protegrins
Germin
A family of small cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides of 16 or 18 amino acid residues from porcine leukocytes (Kokryakov V N et al FEBS Letters 327,231-236, 1993)
A water-soluble homopentameric pepsin-resistant glycoprotein the synthesis of which coincides with the onset of growth in germinating wheat embryos. The isoform made during wheat germination is an oxalate oxidase. (Lane B G e t al J Biol Chem 268, 12239-12242, 1993)
Guanylin A pentadecapeptide hormone isolated from rat jejunum. It is the endogenous activator of the intestinal heat-stable enterotoxin receptor-guanylylcyclase. It is derived from the 115 amino acid prohormone proguanylin. (Garcia K C et al J Biol Chem 268, 22397-22401, 1993)
Hepsin A membrane-associated putative serine protease consisting of a single polypeptide of 417 amino acid residues with a 27-residue internal hydrophobic sequence. Its C-terminal trypsin-type protease module is located on the external surface of the plasma membrane. It is produced in particularly high levels in liver. Its expression is necessary for normal cell growth and morphology. (Torres-Rosado A et al Proc Nail Acad Sci USA 90, 7181-7185, 1993)
Intimin A 94 kDa outer membrane protein of enteropathogenic E coli that is necessary for intimate attachment of the bacterium to epithelial cells. (Donnenberg M Set al J Clin Invest 92, 14181424, 1993)
Intramolecular Chaperones The N-terminal propeptides which mediate the folding of the rest of the polypeptide chain eg in prosubtilisin, trypsinogen, procarboxypeptidase. (Shinde U et al Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90, 6924-6928, 1993)
Protein Intron An internal segment of a polypeptide which is excised, the flanking regions of the remaining N-terminal and C-terminal fragments being religated to produce a functional protein. Three examples are known in yeast, archaebacteria and mycobacteria. The protein splicing is probably self-catalyzed, and the protein intron appears to be a 'homing endonuclease'. (Engelberg-Kuika H et al TIBS 18,294-296, 1993: Shub DA and Goodrich-Blair H Cell 71, 183-186, 1992)
Regucalcin A CaZ+-binding protein of rat liver cytosol, cDNA sequencing reveals a polypeptide of 299 amino acid residues which is very hydrophilic, not homologous with calmodulin and does not contain the EF-hand motif as a Ca2+-binding domain. (Shimokava N and Yamaguchi M, FEBS Letters 327, 251-255, 1993)
SCAMP 37 [Secretory carrier membrane protein of M r ~ 3 7 000] A polypeptide of 338 amino acid residues which contains an Nterminal Ca2+-binding motif, a highly charged leucine zipper, two zinc fingers and a novel alanine repeat motif just upstream of the C-terminal tripeptide (NQM) that also occurs in synaptophysin. It is thought to play a fundamental role in cell surface recycling. (Brand S H and Castle J D The E M B O Journal 12, 3753-3761, 1993)
SKALP [Skin-derived Elafin]
antileukoproteinase: Synonym:
An elastase inhibitor found in psoriatic skin as a 6 kDa polypeptide, derived from a 9.9 kDa precursor. (Molhuizen H O F et al J Biol Chem 268, 12028-12032, 1993)
Neurofibromin The product of the gene for neurofibromatosis type 1. It is a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) in the Ras protooncogene product. When expressed in insect cells it copurifies with tubulin. (Bollag G e t al The E M B O Journal 12, 1923-1927, 1993)
Occludin An integral membrane protein which localises in tight junctions in chick liver, eDNA sequencing revealed in 504-amino acid residue polypeptide whose hydrophobicity plot reveals four putative membrane spanning segments within the N-terminal half. (Furuse M et a l J Cell Biol 123, 1777-1788, 1993)
P-Domain [Synonym: Trefoil motif] A protein approximately 50 amino acid residues long which contains six highly conserved cysteine residues (joined by disulfide bonds in the arrangement 1-5, 2-4, 3-6) as well as conserved Arg, Gly and Trp residues. A family of secretory polypeptides from different animal species contains one, two or four P-domains. (Hoffmann W and Hauser F TIBS 18,239-243, 1993)
BIOCHEMICAL
E D U C A T I O N 23(1) 1995
sno R N A s [Small n u c l e o l a r R N A s ] Small RNAs associated with the eukaryotic nucleolus which participate in the processing of ribosomal RNA. Six have been identified in metazoan cells (87-280 bases) and twelve in yeast (125-605 bases). They exist as ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles which appear to assemble with a large multi-RNA RNP complex for pre-rRNA maturation. (Fournier M J and Maxwell E S TIBS 18, 131-135, 1993)
Succinoglycan An acidic exopolysaccharide needed for symbiosis between Rhizobium meliloti and alfalfa but also synthesized by other
bacteria. It is a polymer of octasaccharide subunits composed of one galactose and seven glucose residues with acetyi, succinyl and pyuvyi modifications. (Reuber T L and Walker G C Cell 74, 269-280, 1993)
Targeting Subunits A novel class of proteins which specifies the location, catalytic and regulatory properties of protein phosphatases and kinases. (Hubbard M J and Cohen P TIBS 18, 172-177, 1993)
Lexicon m Words and Phrases at the Growing Edge Contributions, corrections, suggestions and comments are invited. The aim is to be concise; eg word, definition in one sentence, [reference to an article where more can be found.
Processosome A hypothetical sno RNP complex involved in processing of prerRNA in the nucleolus. (Fournier M J and Maxwell E S TIBS 18, 131-135, 1993)
Contributions by M J M G de Matas and F Vella
Protegrins
Germin
A family of small cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides of 16 or 18 amino acid residues from porcine leukocytes (Kokryakov V N et al FEBS Letters 327,231-236, 1993)
A water-soluble homopentameric pepsin-resistant glycoprotein the synthesis of which coincides with the onset of growth in germinating wheat embryos. The isoform made during wheat germination is an oxalate oxidase. (Lane B G e t al J Biol Chem 268, 12239-12242, 1993)
Guanylin A pentadecapeptide hormone isolated from rat jejunum. It is the endogenous activator of the intestinal heat-stable enterotoxin receptor-guanylylcyclase. It is derived from the 115 amino acid prohormone proguanylin. (Garcia K C et al J Biol Chem 268, 22397-22401, 1993)
Hepsin A membrane-associated putative serine protease consisting of a single polypeptide of 417 amino acid residues with a 27-residue internal hydrophobic sequence. Its C-terminal trypsin-type protease module is located on the external surface of the plasma membrane. It is produced in particularly high levels in liver. Its expression is necessary for normal cell growth and morphology. (Torres-Rosado A et al Proc Nail Acad Sci USA 90, 7181-7185, 1993)
Intimin A 94 kDa outer membrane protein of enteropathogenic E coli that is necessary for intimate attachment of the bacterium to epithelial cells. (Donnenberg M Set al J Clin Invest 92, 14181424, 1993)
Intramolecular Chaperones The N-terminal propeptides which mediate the folding of the rest of the polypeptide chain eg in prosubtilisin, trypsinogen, procarboxypeptidase. (Shinde U et al Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90, 6924-6928, 1993)
Protein Intron An internal segment of a polypeptide which is excised, the flanking regions of the remaining N-terminal and C-terminal fragments being religated to produce a functional protein. Three examples are known in yeast, archaebacteria and mycobacteria. The protein splicing is probably self-catalyzed, and the protein intron appears to be a 'homing endonuclease'. (Engelberg-Kuika H et al TIBS 18,294-296, 1993: Shub DA and Goodrich-Blair H Cell 71, 183-186, 1992)
Regucalcin A CaZ+-binding protein of rat liver cytosol, cDNA sequencing reveals a polypeptide of 299 amino acid residues which is very hydrophilic, not homologous with calmodulin and does not contain the EF-hand motif as a Ca2+-binding domain. (Shimokava N and Yamaguchi M, FEBS Letters 327, 251-255, 1993)
SCAMP 37 [Secretory carrier membrane protein of M r ~ 3 7 000] A polypeptide of 338 amino acid residues which contains an Nterminal Ca2+-binding motif, a highly charged leucine zipper, two zinc fingers and a novel alanine repeat motif just upstream of the C-terminal tripeptide (NQM) that also occurs in synaptophysin. It is thought to play a fundamental role in cell surface recycling. (Brand S H and Castle J D The E M B O Journal 12, 3753-3761, 1993)
SKALP [Skin-derived Elafin]
antileukoproteinase: Synonym:
An elastase inhibitor found in psoriatic skin as a 6 kDa polypeptide, derived from a 9.9 kDa precursor. (Molhuizen H O F et al J Biol Chem 268, 12028-12032, 1993)
Neurofibromin The product of the gene for neurofibromatosis type 1. It is a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) in the Ras protooncogene product. When expressed in insect cells it copurifies with tubulin. (Bollag G e t al The E M B O Journal 12, 1923-1927, 1993)
Occludin An integral membrane protein which localises in tight junctions in chick liver, eDNA sequencing revealed in 504-amino acid residue polypeptide whose hydrophobicity plot reveals four putative membrane spanning segments within the N-terminal half. (Furuse M et a l J Cell Biol 123, 1777-1788, 1993)
P-Domain [Synonym: Trefoil motif] A protein approximately 50 amino acid residues long which contains six highly conserved cysteine residues (joined by disulfide bonds in the arrangement 1-5, 2-4, 3-6) as well as conserved Arg, Gly and Trp residues. A family of secretory polypeptides from different animal species contains one, two or four P-domains. (Hoffmann W and Hauser F TIBS 18,239-243, 1993)
BIOCHEMICAL
E D U C A T I O N 23(1) 1995
sno R N A s [Small n u c l e o l a r R N A s ] Small RNAs associated with the eukaryotic nucleolus which participate in the processing of ribosomal RNA. Six have been identified in metazoan cells (87-280 bases) and twelve in yeast (125-605 bases). They exist as ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles which appear to assemble with a large multi-RNA RNP complex for pre-rRNA maturation. (Fournier M J and Maxwell E S TIBS 18, 131-135, 1993)
Succinoglycan An acidic exopolysaccharide needed for symbiosis between Rhizobium meliloti and alfalfa but also synthesized by other
bacteria. It is a polymer of octasaccharide subunits composed of one galactose and seven glucose residues with acetyi, succinyl and pyuvyi modifications. (Reuber T L and Walker G C Cell 74, 269-280, 1993)
Targeting Subunits A novel class of proteins which specifies the location, catalytic and regulatory properties of protein phosphatases and kinases. (Hubbard M J and Cohen P TIBS 18, 172-177, 1993)