Biomaterial Database

Glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol: a versatile anchor for cell surface proteins. 1989

M G Low

Rover Physiology Research Laboratories, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.

Covalent linkage of proteins to glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) molecules is now recognized as an important mechanism for anchoring proteins to membranes. Recent structural work on the GPI anchors indicates that the structure of the glycan connecting the protein and the phosphatidylinositol molecule has been conserved during evolution. Attachment of the protein to the GPI molecule is directed by a signal sequence at the COOH terminus of the polypeptide that is removed during the attachment process. Alternative processing of the same RNA transcript may lead to mRNA species encoding for the same protein but not utilizing GPI for membrane anchoring. One function of the GPI anchor may be to offer a site for degradation by specific endogenous phospholipases with release of the protein from the cell surface. The products of GPI anchor degradation may also have biological activity and be involved in cell communication. Although the physiological role of these events is not certain, the available evidence suggests that the GPI anchors play a dynamic and versatile role in the regulation of cell surface protein expression.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008565	Membrane Proteins	Proteins which are found in membranes including cellular and intracellular membranes. They consist of two types, peripheral and integral proteins. They include most membrane-associated enzymes, antigenic proteins, transport proteins, and drug, hormone, and lectin receptors.	Cell Membrane Protein,Cell Membrane Proteins,Cell Surface Protein,Cell Surface Proteins,Integral Membrane Proteins,Membrane-Associated Protein,Surface Protein,Surface Proteins,Integral Membrane Protein,Membrane Protein,Membrane-Associated Proteins,Membrane Associated Protein,Membrane Associated Proteins,Membrane Protein, Cell,Membrane Protein, Integral,Membrane Proteins, Integral,Protein, Cell Membrane,Protein, Cell Surface,Protein, Integral Membrane,Protein, Membrane,Protein, Membrane-Associated,Protein, Surface,Proteins, Cell Membrane,Proteins, Cell Surface,Proteins, Integral Membrane,Proteins, Membrane,Proteins, Membrane-Associated,Proteins, Surface,Surface Protein, Cell
D010716	Phosphatidylinositols	Derivatives of phosphatidic acids in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to the hexahydroxy alcohol, myo-inositol. Complete hydrolysis yields 1 mole of glycerol, phosphoric acid, myo-inositol, and 2 moles of fatty acids.	Inositide Phospholipid,Inositol Phosphoglyceride,Inositol Phosphoglycerides,Inositol Phospholipid,Phosphoinositide,Phosphoinositides,PtdIns,Inositide Phospholipids,Inositol Phospholipids,Phosphatidyl Inositol,Phosphatidylinositol,Inositol, Phosphatidyl,Phosphoglyceride, Inositol,Phosphoglycerides, Inositol,Phospholipid, Inositide,Phospholipid, Inositol,Phospholipids, Inositide,Phospholipids, Inositol
D002450	Cell Communication	Any of several ways in which living cells of an organism communicate with one another, whether by direct contact between cells or by means of chemical signals carried by neurotransmitter substances, hormones, and cyclic AMP.	Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interaction,Cell Communications,Cell Interactions,Cell to Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interactions,Communication, Cell,Communications, Cell,Interaction, Cell,Interaction, Cell-to-Cell,Interactions, Cell,Interactions, Cell-to-Cell
D005075	Biological Evolution	The process of cumulative change over successive generations through which organisms acquire their distinguishing morphological and physiological characteristics.	Evolution, Biological
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression
D006017	Glycolipids	Any compound containing one or more monosaccharide residues bound by a glycosidic linkage to a hydrophobic moiety such as an acylglycerol (see GLYCERIDES), a sphingoid, a ceramide (CERAMIDES) (N-acylsphingoid) or a prenyl phosphate. (From IUPAC's webpage)	Glycolipid
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015394	Molecular Structure	The location of the atoms, groups or ions relative to one another in a molecule, as well as the number, type and location of covalent bonds.	Structure, Molecular,Molecular Structures,Structures, Molecular
D017261	Glycosylphosphatidylinositols	Compounds containing carbohydrate or glycosyl groups linked to phosphatidylinositols. They anchor GPI-LINKED PROTEINS or polysaccharides to cell membranes.	GPI Membrane Anchor,GPI Membrane Anchors,Glycosyl-Phosphatidylinositol Membrane Protein Anchor,Glycosylated Phosphatidylinositol,Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchor,Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchors,Phosphatidylinositol Glycan,Gly-PtdIns,Glycoinositol Phospholipid Membrane Anchor,Glycosyl-Phosphatidylinositol,Glycosyl-Phosphatidylinositol Membrane Protein Anchors,Glycosylated Phosphatidylinositols,Glycosylphosphatidylinositol,Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Linkage,PI-Glycan,Anchor, GPI Membrane,Anchor, Glycosylphosphatidylinositol,Anchors, GPI Membrane,Anchors, Glycosylphosphatidylinositol,Glycan, Phosphatidylinositol,Glycosyl Phosphatidylinositol,Glycosyl Phosphatidylinositol Membrane Protein Anchor,Glycosyl Phosphatidylinositol Membrane Protein Anchors,Linkage, Glycosylphosphatidylinositol,Membrane Anchor, GPI,Membrane Anchors, GPI,PI Glycan,Phosphatidylinositol, Glycosylated,Phosphatidylinositols, Glycosylated