A new class of proteins capable of binding transition metals.

Ion uptake, transport, and sequestration are essential to meet the nutritional requirements for plant growth and development. Furthermore, regulation of these processes is critical for plants to tolerate toxic levels of ions. The examination of isoprenylated proteins encoded by Arabidopsis thaliana and Glycine max cDNAs revealed a unique family of proteins containing putative metal-binding motifs (the core sequence is M/LXCXXC). Here, we describe this new class of proteins, which are capable of being isoprenylated and binding transition metal ions. Members of this family contain consensus isoprenylation (CaaX) sites, which we demonstrate are efficiently isoprenylated in vitro. ATFP3, a representative of the Arabidopsis family, was expressed in Escherichia coli and examined for metal-binding activity in vitro. Analysis of the interaction of ATFP3 with metal-chelating columns (IMAC) suggested that it binds to Cu2+, Ni2+, or Zn2+. To test whether proteins with these characteristics are present in other plant species, tobacco BY2 cells were labeled in vivo with [14C]mevalonate and the resulting mevalonate-labeled proteins were tested for metal-binding activity. Several soluble, isoprenylated proteins which bound copper-IMAC columns were revealed. Consistent with a wide-spread distribution of these proteins in plants, their presence was observed in Arabidopsis, soybean, and tobacco.

Organization, structure, and expression of the gene encoding the rat substance P receptor.

The gene for the rat substance P receptor has been cloned, its genomic structure determined, and the patterns of mRNA expression extensively analyzed. Unlike many genes encoding G protein-coupled receptors, the protein-coding region of this gene is divided into five exons consisting of 965, 195, 151, 197, and 2,010 base pairs. The substance P receptor gene extends more than 45 kilobases in length, and the splice sites for the exons occur at the borders of the sequences encoding putative membrane-spanning domains. The transcription initiation site has been defined by solution hybridization-nuclease protection and nucleotide sequence analyses, and lies downstream of a conventional TATA sequence. Substance P receptor mRNA levels in various tissues have been quantitated using solution hybridization-nuclease protection assays and were found to comprise from 0.00008 to 0.0016% of total RNA levels. Relatively high levels of substance P receptor mRNA are seen in the urinary bladder and the sublingual salivary gland, whereas moderate levels are observed for the submandibular salivary gland, striatum, hippocampus, midbrain, and olfactory bulb with lower levels in the remainder of the central nervous system and alimentary canal. These results are discussed in relation to the evolutionary role of multiple exons for a G protein-coupled receptor and with regard to the locations and mechanisms of substance P receptor gene expression.