Wq. Wang et al., ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A MINI-COLLAGEN GENE ENCODING A NEMATOCYST CAPSULE PROTEIN FROM A REEF-BUILDING CORAL, ACROPORA-DONEI, Gene, 152(2), 1995, pp. 195-200
Genomic and cDNA clones of a mcol gene encoding mini-collagen (MCOL),
a nematocyst capsule protein, have been isolated from a reef-building
coral, Acropora donei (Anthozoa). The gene and its flanking regions, c
omprising 5382 bp and covering three exons and two introns, were seque
nced, Exons 2 and 3 together have an open reading frame which can enco
de a MCOL of 176 amino acids (aa), The coral MCOL has all the characte
ristic regions present in the four hydra MCOL specified by the four mc
ol cDNA clones previously isolated from Hydra magnipapillata (Hydrozoa
) by Kurz et al, [J, Cell Biol. 115 (1991) 1159-1169], including a cen
tral Gly-Xaa-Yaa region and flanking Pro-rich and Cys-repeat regions,
This observation suggests that a,mcol family is highly conserved in An
thozoa and Hydrozoa, and also that the characteristic regions present
in MCOL are essential for the structure and function of these peptides
.