Sequence and expression of a novel member (LTBP‐4) of the family of latent transforming growth factor‐β binding proteins

Abstract
Overlapping cDNA clones from human heart and melanoma libraries were used to establish the 1587‐residue sequence of a novel protein (LTBP‐4) belonging to the family of extracellular microfibrillar proteins which also bind transforming growth factor‐β. LTBP‐4 consists of 20 EG modules, 17 of them with a consensus sequence for calcium binding, 4 TB modules with 8 cysteines and several proline‐rich regions. Northern blots demonstrated a single 5 kb mRNA which is highly expressed in heart but also present in skeletal muscle, pancreas, placenta and lung. The modular structure predicts that LTBP‐4 should be a microfibrillar protein which probably also binds TGF‐β.

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