A novel chitin-binding protein from the vestimentiferan Riftia pachyptila interacts specifically with beta-chitin - Cloning, expression, and characterization
L. Chamoy et al., A novel chitin-binding protein from the vestimentiferan Riftia pachyptila interacts specifically with beta-chitin - Cloning, expression, and characterization, J BIOL CHEM, 276(11), 2001, pp. 8051-8058
A cDNA from Riftia pachyptila was cloned. It encodes a novel 21.3-kDa prote
in from the worm protective tube, named RCBP (for Riftia chitin-binding pro
tein). On the basis of partial tube-peptide sequences previously obtained,
experiments using reverse transcriptase-mediated polymerase chain reaction
and rapid amplification of cDNA ends led to the complete cDNA sequence. Ana
lysis of its deduced amino acid sequence shows the presence of two chitin-b
inding domains. These domains are closely related to type 2 chitin-binding
domains that are restricted to the animal kingdom. We showed by affinity as
say and immunogold labeling that RCBP is the first protein so far known tha
t binds specifically beta -chitin and that is unable to bind the most commo
n alpha -form found in chitin secreting animals. The RCBP mRNA was found to
be present in specific epidermal cells from the worm body wall, but never
in the chitin-secreting gland cells. This unexpected result clearly indicat
es that this tube protein is synthesized in specialized areas of the outer
epithelium and that at least two different tissues are involved in this exo
skeleton synthesis.