K. Godl et al., PHEROPHORINS - A FAMILY OF EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX GLYCOPROTEINS FROM VOLVOX STRUCTURALLY RELATED TO THE SEX-INDUCING PHEROMONE, Planta, 196(4), 1995, pp. 781-787
Pherophorins are extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins from Volvox
that share homology with the sex-inducing pheromone. A novel pherophor
in (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 i
s a homolog of a domain found in the ECM glycoprotein SSG 185. Togethe
r with SSG 185, pherophorin I is a main component of the cellular zone
within the ECM. The Volvox genome contains a tandem arrangement of ge
nes encoding pherophorin II-related polypeptides. Inhibition of proteo
lytic processing of pherophorin II and III in vivo appears to result i
n the suppression of sexual induction.