SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ABSTRACT Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is an autosomal dominant disorder, characterized by the development of bilateral vestibular and spinal schwamomas, meningiomas, and ependymomas. The hF2 gene encodes a 595 amino acid polypeptide known as NF2 protein or Merlin or Schwanomin. The primary structure of the NF2 protein is homologous to the ERM family of peripheral membrane proteins, which includes Ezrin, Radixin, and Moesin. The founding member of the ERM superfamily is the

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... erythrocyte membrane protein 4.1, which cross-link's spectrin-actin complexes and attaches them to the plasma membrane. We have established that p55, a palmitoylated peripheral membrane phosphoprotein, forms a ternary complex with protein 4.1 and glycophorin C. Notably, the Drosophila homologue of p55 functions as a tumor suppressor in epithelial and neuronal tissues. In the 2nd year of the funding period, we demonstrated binding between p55 and the NF2 protein and established the existence of this complex in human erythrocyte plasma membrane. This unexpected finding revealed a new paradigm, integrating the known functions of the p55 family of proteins with the pathophysiology of the NF2 protein.