The AVIT protein family. Secreted cysteine-rich vertebrate proteins with diverse functions.

ABSTRACT: Homologues of a protein originally isolated from snake venom and frog skin secretions are present in many vertebrate species. They contain 80-90 amino acids, 10 of which are cysteines with identical spacing. Various names have been given to these proteins, such as mamba intestinal protein 1 (MIT1), Bv8 (Bombina variegata molecular mass approximately 8 kDa), prokineticins and endocrine-gland vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF). Their amino-terminal sequences are identical, and so we propose that the sequence of their first four residues, AVIT, is used as a name for this family. From a comparison of the sequences, two types of AVIT proteins can be discerned. These proteins seem to be distributed widely in mammalian tissues and are known to bind to G-protein-coupled receptors. Member

SUBMITTER: Kaser A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1319185 | biostudies-literature | 2003 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature