Glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in chemosensory signaling: antisense manipulation of Paramecium tetraurelia PIG-A gene expression.

ABSTRACT: Glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins are peripheral membrane proteins tethered to the cell through a lipid anchor. GPI-anchored proteins serve many functions in cellular physiology and cell signaling. The PIG-A gene codes for one of the enzymes of a complex that catalyzes the first step in anchor synthesis, and we have cloned the Paramecium tetraurelia pPIG-A gene using homology PCR. To understand the function of pPIG-A and the significance of GPI-anchored proteins in Paramecium, we reduced the mRNA for pPIG-A in transformed cells using an expression vector that transcribed antisense mRNA. The amount of transcript is reduced to approximately 0.3% of the mRNA in control-transformed cells. Compared to control cells, cells transformed with the antisense pPIG-A vector show red

SUBMITTER: Yano J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC326658 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature