Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination
We are sorry, but NCBI web applications do not support your browser and may not function properly. More information
    Biochemistry. 1999 May 11;38(19):6135-43.

    Molecular interactions of N-RAP, a nebulin-related protein of striated muscle myotendon junctions and intercalated disks.

    Source

    Laboratory of Physical Biology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

    Abstract

    N-RAP is a recently discovered muscle-specific protein that is concentrated at the myotendon junctions in skeletal muscle and at the intercalated disks in cardiac muscle. The C-terminal half of N-RAP contains a region with sequence homology to nebulin, while a LIM domain is found at its N-terminus. N-RAP is hypothesized to perform an anchoring function, linking the terminal actin filaments of myofibrils to protein complexes located beneath the sarcolemma. We used a solid-phase assay to screen myofibrillar and junctional proteins for binding to several recombinant fragments of N-RAP, including the nebulin-like super repeat region (N-RAP-SR), the N-terminal half including the LIM domain (N-RAP-NH), and the region of N-RAP between the super repeat region and the LIM domain (N-RAP-IB). Actin is the only myofibrillar protein tested that exhibits specific binding to N-RAP, with high-affinity binding to N-RAP super repeats, and 10-fold weaker binding to N-RAP-IB. In contrast, myosin, isolated myosin heads, tropomyosin, and troponin exhibited no specific interaction with N-RAP domains. A recombinant fragment corresponding to the C-terminal one-fourth of vinculin also binds specifically to N-RAP super repeats, while no specific N-RAP binding activity was observed for other regions of the vinculin molecule. Finally, talin binds with high affinity to the LIM domain of N-RAP. These results support our hypothesis that N-RAP is part of a complex of proteins that anchors the terminal actin filaments of the myofibril to the membrane, and functions in transmitting tension from the myofibrils to the extracellular matrix.

    PMID:
    10320340
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

      Supplemental Content

      Icon for American Chemical Society

      Save items

      Recent activity

      Your browsing activity is empty.

      Activity recording is turned off.

      Turn recording back on

      See more...
      Write to the Help Desk