Anchorin CII, a collagen-binding chondrocyte surface protein of the calpactin family.

In an attempt to identify collagen-binding proteins on the chondrocyte surface, a protein of Mr 34KD, called Anchorin CII was isolated from chondrocyte membranes by affinity chromatography on type II collagen sepharose (Mollenhauer & von der Mark, 1983). The protein was localized on the chondrocyte surface by immunofluorescence labeling using a specific rabbit antibody (Mollenhauer et al., 1984), by immunogold labeling and by cell surface iodination (Pfäffle et al., 1988). Fab'fragments of anti anchorin CII reduced the binding of chondrocytes to type II collagen substrates (Mollenhauer et al., 1984). Analysis of the complete primary structure of anchorin CII revealed 4 repetitive domains of each 70-80 amino acid residues, and the absence of hydrophobic transmembrane sequences or signal peptides (Fernández et al., 1988). Thus, anchorin CII is another member of the calpactin/lipocortin/annexin family, although most other members of this family are located strictly intracellularly. Similar to lipocortin I, however, anchorin CII can be identified extracellularly, e.g. in the culture medium of chondrocytes and fibroblasts (Pfäffle et al., 1988). Here we report on further studies on sequence homologies to other annexins, and on the Ca(++)- and phospholipide binding of this protein.