Moussian Bernard, Söding Johannes, Schwarz Heinz, Nüsslein-Volhard Christiane
Department of Genetics, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany.
Dev Dyn. 2005 Jul;233(3):1056-63. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.20389.
Mutations in the rtv gene cause disarrangement of chitin fibers in the cuticle of the Drosophila larva, and occasionally the cuticle detaches from the epidermis. We have identified the rtv gene, and using the new HHpred homology detection method, we show that the Rtv protein defines a new family of disulfide-rich proteins in insects that are related to vertebrate snake neurotoxin-like proteins, including CD59 and transforming growth factor-beta type II receptors. Rtv is an extracellular membrane-anchored protein exposing six aromatic residues that may mediate binding to chitin. We propose that this binding function of Rtv may assist the organization of chitin fibers at the epidermal cell surface during cuticle assembly.
rtv基因的突变会导致果蝇幼虫表皮中几丁质纤维排列紊乱，偶尔表皮会与真皮分离。我们已经鉴定出rtv基因，并使用新的HHpred同源性检测方法表明，Rtv蛋白定义了昆虫中一个新的富含二硫键的蛋白质家族，这些蛋白质与脊椎动物蛇神经毒素样蛋白有关，包括CD59和转化生长因子-β II型受体。Rtv是一种细胞外膜锚定蛋白，暴露六个芳香族残基，可能介导与几丁质的结合。我们认为Rtv的这种结合功能可能有助于在表皮组装过程中组织表皮细胞表面的几丁质纤维。
