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Structure of the Basement Membrane Protein Laminin: Variations on a Theme

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Cytoskeletal and Extracellular Proteins

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Biophysics ((BIOPHYSICS,volume 3))

Abstract

Laminin is a noncollagenous glycoprotein (Mr ≈ 106) localized specifically in basement membranes. In vertebrates it consists of disulfide-linked polypeptide chains of Mr ≈ 200′000 (B1- and B2-chain) and Mr ≈ 400′000 (A-chain). By electron microscopy it is visualized as an asymmetric cross with one long and three short arms each bearing terminal globules (cf Paulsson 1987). By extraction with a physiological buffer containing a metal ion chelator (EDTA) laminin copurifies with nidogen (Mr ≈ 150′000) which is bound near the middle of one of the short arms (Paulsson et al 1987). To investigate structural variations of laminin during evolution we applied this extraction protocol to some invertebrates covering the main groups of phylogeny: we have chosen sea urchins belonging to the deuterostomia, leeches as an example for the protostomia and anthomedusae for the radiata.

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References

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Author information

Author notes

  1. K. Beck

    Present address: Institut für Biophysik, Universität, A-4040, Linz, Austria

  2. R. A. McCarthy

    Present address: Dept. Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

  3. W. K. Schlage

    Present address: Institut für biologische Forschung, D-5000, Köln, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Biocenter of the University of Basel, Klingelbergstraße 70, CH -4056, Basel, Switzerland

    K. Beck, R. A. McCarthy, M. Chiquet, L. Masuda-Nakagawa  & W. K. Schlage

  2. Dept. Biochemistry, Biocenter of the University of Basel, Switzerland

    R. A. McCarthy

  3. Dept. Pharmacology, Biocenter of the University of Basel, Switzerland

    L. Masuda-Nakagawa

  4. Institute of Zoology, University of Basel, CH-4051, Basel, Switzerland

    W. K. Schlage

Authors
  1. K. Beck
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  2. R. A. McCarthy
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  3. M. Chiquet
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  4. L. Masuda-Nakagawa
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  5. W. K. Schlage
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Maurice E. Müller-Institut, Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstraße 70, CH-4056, Basel, Germany

    Ueli Aebi

  2. Abteilung für Biophysikalische Chemie, Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstraße 70, CH-4056, Basel, Germany

    Jürgen Engel

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Beck, K., McCarthy, R.A., Chiquet, M., Masuda-Nakagawa , L., Schlage, W.K. (1989). Structure of the Basement Membrane Protein Laminin: Variations on a Theme. In: Aebi, U., Engel, J. (eds) Cytoskeletal and Extracellular Proteins. Springer Series in Biophysics, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73925-5_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73925-5_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73927-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-73925-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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