Neural cell recognition molecule F11: membrane interaction by covalently attached phosphatidylinositol

The mode of membrane insertion of F11 130 kDa protein, a neural chick cell surface glycoprotein involved in neurite fasciculation, has been investigated. Up to 41% of total F11 130 kDa is released from adult chick brain plasma membranes by phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), whereas no release is mediated by lecithin/cephalin specific phospholipase C (PLC). PI-PLC dependent release of F11 is also observed from embryonal chick brain plasma membranes and from the surface of intact retinal cells. Biosynthetic labelling experiments demonstrate that F11 contains ethanolamine. Taken together, these results suggest that F11 interacts with the plasma membrane at least partially through covalently linked glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) or a structurally similar lipid.