The developmentally regulated avian protein IFAPa-400 is transitin

Abstract

Transitin and IFAPa-400 are developmentally regulated high M r proteins expressed transiently in early chick embryogenesis. Both are associated with radially oriented fibers in the developing CNS and with various neural and myogenic tissues before their down-regulation at later stages. Previous studies have shown that IFAPa-400 colocalized and copurified with intermediate filament proteins and recent molecular cloning has indicated that transitin is a member of this family of cytoskeletal proteins. Here, we provide evidence that IFAPa-400 and transitin are the same protein. The sequence of a composite cDNA corresponding to more than 700 amino acids of IFAPa-400 carboxy-terminal extremity is identical to that of transitin. Both proteins exhibit identical apparent M r and isoelectric point. Immunopurified IFAPa-400 reacts with different antibodies to transitin and vice-versa. The patterns of expression of both proteins show a perfect coincidence at the tissue level. At the subcellular level, most antibodies to IFAPa-400/transitin decorate a typical intermediate filament network. However, monoclonal antibody A 2B 11, at the origin of transitin identification, exhibits a staining more typical of a cortical component, suggesting that different populations of transitin exist within the cell.