A START-domain-containing protein is a novel marker of nervous system components of the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima.

ABSTRACT: One of the main challenges faced by investigators studying the nervous system of members of the phylum Echinodermata is the lack of markers to identify nerve cells and plexi. Previous studies have utilized an antibody, RN1, that labels most of the nervous system structures of the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima and other echinoderms. However, the antigen recognized by RN1 remained unknown. In the present work, the antigen has been characterized by immunoprecipitation, tandem mass spectrometry, and cDNA cloning. The RN1 antigen contains a START lipid-binding domain found in Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory (StAR) proteins and other lipid-binding proteins. Phylogenetic tree assembly showed that the START domain is highly conserved among echinoderms. We have named this antigen HgSTARD10 for

SUBMITTER: Rosado-Olivieri EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5772606 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature