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PROSITE documentation PDOC00206 [for PROSITE entry PS00233] |
Insect cuticle is composed of proteins and chitin. The cuticular proteins seem to be specific to the type of cuticle (flexible or stiff) that occur at stages of the insect development. The proteins found in the flexible cuticle of larva and pupa of different insects share a conserved C-terminal section [1]; such a region is also found in the soft endocuticle of adults insects [2] as well as in other cuticular proteins including in arachnids [3]. This conserved motif of 35-36 amino acids is known as the R&R consensus since it was first recognized by Rebers and Riddiford. N-terminal to the consensus is a region of hydrophilic amino acids. The two regions together have been called the extended R&R consensus and form an about 70 amino acids chitin-binding domain [4,5].
The R&R chitin-binding domain has been proposed to constitute antiparallel β-pleaated sheets [6].
Some proteins known to contain a R&R chitin-binding domain are listed below:
We have developed both a pattern and a profile for the R&R chitin-binding domain. The pattern covers the R&R consensus, whereas the profile covers the entire R&R chitin-binding domain.
Last update:April 2006 / Pattern revised.
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PROSITE methods (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:
1 | Authors | Rebers J.E. Riddiford L.M. |
Title | Structure and expression of a Manduca sexta larval cuticle gene homologous to Drosophila cuticle genes. | |
Source | J. Mol. Biol. 203:411-423(1988). | |
PubMed ID | 2462055 |
2 | Authors | Talbo G. Hoejrup P. Rahbek-Nielsen H. Andersen S.O. Roepstorff P. |
Title | Determination of the covalent structure of an N- and C-terminally blocked glycoprotein from endocuticle of Locusta migratoria. Combined use of plasma desorption mass spectrometry and Edman degradation to study post-translationally modified proteins. | |
Source | Eur. J. Biochem. 195:495-504(1991). | |
PubMed ID | 1997327 |
3 | Authors | Norup T. Berg T. Stenholm H. Andersen S.O. Hoejrup P. |
Title | Purification and characterization of five cuticular proteins from the spider Araneus diadematus. | |
Source | Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 26:907-915(1996). | |
PubMed ID | 9014336 |
4 | Authors | Rebers J.E. Willis J.H. |
Title | A conserved domain in arthropod cuticular proteins binds chitin. | |
Source | Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 31:1083-1093(2001). | |
PubMed ID | 11520687 |
5 | Authors | Togawa T. Nakato H. Izumi S. |
Title | Analysis of the chitin recognition mechanism of cuticle proteins from the soft cuticle of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. | |
Source | Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 34:1059-1067(2004). | |
PubMed ID | 15475300 | |
DOI | 10.1016/j.ibmb.2004.06.008 |
6 | Authors | Hamodrakas S.J. Willis J.H. Iconomidou V.A. |
Title | A structural model of the chitin-binding domain of cuticle proteins. | |
Source | Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 32:1577-1583(2002). | |
PubMed ID | 12530225 |