Jeff Lipton (jfl at panix.com) inquired about as to whether transferrin and the
transferrin receptor are homologous to other known proteins.
There are the recognized homologs of transferrin, e.g., lactotransferrin
(lactoferrin), melanotransferrin, hemiferrin. There has also been a report of
"a saxitoxin-binding protein" from bullfrog that is related to transferrin
(JBC 266, 15481-15487, 1991; PIR:A39426).
The transferrin receptor appears to be unrelated to anything else, although there
is oddly high similarity between residues 244-290 of JXHU and residues
378-425 of PIR:A35066, a subtilisin-related proteinase.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Winona C. Barker
Protein Information Resource
National Biomedical Research Foundation
Washington, DC 20007
BARKER at GUNBRF.BITNETBARKER at NBRF.GEORGETOWN.EDU
(202) 687-2121