The subunit structure of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) membrane sector is not entirely known. The proteolipid is the only subunit that has been implicated in the mechanism of energy transfer in the enzyme. We have identified a protein (M16) that co-purifies with the V-ATPase complex from bovine chromaffin granules. Information obtained from the amino acid sequence of a proteolytic fragment of M16 was used to clone a bovine adrenal cDNA encoding this protein. The cDNA encodes a hydrophilic protein of 118 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 13682Da. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that M16 exhibits a significant homology to subunit b of F-ATPases. M16 is smaller than subunit b and contains no apparent transmembrane segment in its N terminus. The remainder of subunit b is related to M16 not only by its amino acid sequence but also in its predicted structure of helix-turn-helix. The structural and evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.
In the field: an interview with Harald Wolf
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In our new Conversation, Harald Wolf talks about his fieldwork experiences working with desert ants in Tunisia to understand their navigation.
Propose a new Workshop
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Our Workshops bring together leading experts and early-career researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds. Applications are now open to propose Workshops for 2024, one of which will be held in a Global South country.
Julian Dow steps down and John Terblanche joins the JEB team
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After 15 years with the journal, Julian Dow from University of Glasgow, UK, is stepping down as a Monitoring Editor. We wish Julian all the best for the future and welcome John Terblanche, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, who is joining the team. Julian talks about his long association with The Company of Biologists and the journal and John tells us about his life and career in this News article.
Ecotourism affecting iguana glucose tolerance
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Ecotourists feeding grapes on skewers to north Bahamian rock iguanas may be doing the reptiles more harm than good as the sugar charged diet is giving the animals high blood sugar.
Evolution of metabolic plasticity
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In their Commentary, Frank Seebacher and Julian Beaman propose that metabolic plasticity originated in prebiotic protocells and that it was a pre-requisite for effective transfer of genetic material across generations – the hallmark of Darwinian evolution.
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