| Literature DB >> 15109709 |
Michael T Henzl1, Isolde Thalmann, John D Larson, Elena G Ignatova, Ruediger Thalmann.
Abstract
OCP1 and OCP2 are the most abundant proteins in the organ of Corti. Their distributions map identically to the epithelial gap-junction system, which unites the supporting cell population. Sequence data imply that OCP1 and OCP2 are subunits of an SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase. Consistent with that hypothesis, electrophoretic mobility-shift assays and pull-down assays with immobilized OCP1 demonstrate the formation of an OCP1-OCP2 complex. Sedimentation equilibrium data indicate that the complex is heterodimeric. The coincidence of the OCP1-OCP2 distribution and the epithelial gap-junction system suggests that one or more connexin isoforms may be targets of an SCF(OCP1) complex. Significantly, immobilized OCP1 binds (35)S-labeled connexin 26 (Cx26) produced by in vitro transcription-translation. Moreover, Cx26 can be co-immunoprecipitated from extracts of the organ of Corti by immobilized anti-OCP1, implying that OCP1 and Cx26 may associate in vivo. Given that lesions in the Cx26 gene (GJB2) are the most common cause of hereditary deafness, the OCP1-Cx26 interaction has substantial biomedical relevance.Entities:
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Year: 2004 PMID: 15109709 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2004.01.005
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Hear Res ISSN: 0378-5955 Impact factor: 3.208