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Anderson, K.E. and J.H. Waite, 1996. A Partial cDNA for a Byssal Precursor Protein from the Foot of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas). University of Delaware Reprinted from American Zoology (1996) 36(5): 14A A Partial cDNA for a Byssal Precursor Protein from the Foot of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas)A partial cDNA coding for the N-terminal third of Dreissena polymorpha foot protein 1 (Dpfp1) has been successfully cloned and sequenced. This protein, produced in the foot of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, is thought to play an important structural role in the mussel byssus. The cDNA sequence was obtained using RT-PCR employing degenerative oligonucleotide primers based on previously determined tryptic peptide sequences for Dpfp1 (Mar. Mol. Biotech.2:267). Tandemly repeated motifs occur in the deduced amino acid sequences which were previously detected as a consensus tryptic peptide in the purified protein. This study provides the first direct evidence that dreissenid byssal proteins, like those of marine mussels, contain tandemly repeated motifs. Work is currently in progress to obtain the remaining cDNA sequence. This work supported by the NOAA Grand Award #NA46RG080. Contact: K.E. Anderson, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of
Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 anderson@harpo.duch.udel.edu |