The developmentally regulated avian protein IFAPa-400 is transitin

Transitin and IFAPa-400 are developmentally regulated high M(r) proteins expressed transiently in early chick embryogenesis. Both are associated with radially oriented fibers in the developing CNS and with various neural and myogenic tissues before their down-regulation at later stages. Previous studies have shown that IFAPa-400 colocalized and copurified with intermediate filament proteins and recent molecular cloning has indicated that transitin is a member of this family of cytoskeletal proteins. Here, we provide evidence that IFAPa-400 and transitin are the same protein. The sequence of a composite cDNA corresponding to more than 700 amino acids of IFAPa-400 carboxy-terminal extremity is identical to that of transitin. Both proteins exhibit identical apparent M(r) and isoelectric point. Immunopurified IFAPa-400 reacts with different antibodies to transitin and vice-versa. The patterns of expression of both proteins show a perfect coincidence at the tissue level. At the subcellular level, most antibodies to IFAPa-400/transitin decorate a typical intermediate filament network. However, monoclonal antibody A2B11, at the origin of transitin identification, exhibits a staining more typical of a cortical component, suggesting that different populations of transitin exist within the cell.