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- **************************************************
- * Arthropod hemocyanins / insect LSPs signatures *
- **************************************************
-
- Hemocyanins are copper-containing oxygen carriers occurring freely dissolved
- in the hemolymph of many molluscs and arthropods [1]. Arthropods hemocyanins
- consist of hexamer or multi-hexamers with subunits of about 75 Kd. Each of
- these subunits binds two copper ions.
-
- Larval storage proteins (LSP) [2] are proteins from the hemolymph of insects,
- which may serve as a store of amino acids for synthesis of adult proteins.
- There are two classes of LSP's: arylphorins, which are rich in aromatic amino
- acids, and methionine-rich LSP's. LSP's forms hexameric complexes. LSP's are
- structurally related to arthropods hemocyanins.
-
- In the lepidopteran Trichoplusia ni a protein has been found [3] which is
- associated with larval metamorphosis. This protein, which is called acidic
- juvenile hormone-suppressible protein 1 (AJSP-1) is also structurally related
- to arthropods hemocyanins.
-
- As signature patterns for these proteins we selected two conserved regions,
- the first of these regions is located in the N-terminal section of these
- proteins and include a conserved histidine residue which, in hemocyanins,
- binds a copper atom. The second pattern is located in the central part of the
- protein.
-
- -Consensus pattern: Y-[FYW]-x-E-D-[LIVM]-x(2)-N-x(6)-H-x(3)-P
- [H is a copper ligand in hemocyanins]
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL, except
- for AJSP-1 and Calliphora vicina arylphorins.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
-
- -Consensus pattern: T-x(2)-R-D-P-x-F-[FYW]
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
-
- -Note: see also the pattern for the copper B binding site of tyrosinase; this
- pattern will also pick up all arthropods and molluscs hemocyanins.
-
- -Last update: December 1992 / Text revised.
-
- [ 1] Linzen B.
- Naturwissenschaften 76:206-211(1989).
- [ 2] Willott E., Wang X.-Y., Wells M.A.
- J. Biol. Chem. 264:19052-19059(1989).
- [ 3] Jones G., Brown N., Manczak M., Hiremath S., Kafatos F.C.
- J. Biol. Chem. 265:8596-8602(1990).
-