Structure of the Dictyostelium discoideum prestalk D11 gene and protein

The gene encoding the prestalk D11 mRNA of Dictyostelium discoideum has been isolated and characterized. Transcriptional mapping and sequence data indicated that the D11 message is unspliced and contains an 846-base open reading frame. The 273 base pairs upstream from the translation initiator codon are 88% A + T, typical of Dictyostelium upstream sequences, and contain no recognizable upstream activator sequence. The deduced D11 protein is exceptionally rich in cysteine residues and consists of a 25-amino acid hydrophobic leader sequence (L) followed by a series of repeats with the structure LA1B1A2B2C1B3C2B4C3B5C4B6, where A, B, and C, are, respectively, amino acid sequences of 39, 18, and 15 residues. The deduced D11 protein shares certain similarities with the Dictyostelium cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor protein.