HETEROTYPIC AND HOMOTYPIC ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN EZRIN AND MOESIN, 2 PUTATIVE MEMBRANE CYTOSKELETAL LINKING PROTEINS

Ezrin and moesin are components of actin-rich cell surface structures that are thought to function as membrane-cytoskeletal linking proteins . Here we show that a stable complex of ezrin and moesin can be isolat ed from cultured cells by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies . The capacity of these two proteins to interact directly was confirme d with a blot-overlay procedure in which biotin-tagged proteins in sol ution were incubated with immobilized binding partners. In addition to the heterotypic association of ezrin and moesin, homotypic binding of ezrin to ezrin and of moesin to moesin was also demonstrated in vitro . These results suggest mechanisms by which ezrin and moesin might par ticipate in dynamic aspects of cortical cytoskeletal structure.