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- **************************************************
- * Phorbol esters / diacylglycerol binding domain *
- **************************************************
-
- Diacylglycerol (DAG) is an important second messenger. Phorbol esters (PE) are
- analogues of DAG and potent tumor promoters that cause a variety of
- physiological changes when administered to both cells and tissues. DAG
- activates a family of serine/threonine protein kinases, collectively known as
- protein kinase C (PKC) [1]. Phorbol esters can directly stimulate PKC. The N-
- terminal region of PKC, known as C1, has been shown [2] to bind PE and DAG in
- a phospholipid and zinc-dependent fashion. The C1 region contains one or two
- copies (depending on the isozyme of PKC) of a cysteine-rich domain about 50
- amino-acid residues long and essential for DAG/PE-binding. Such a domain has
- also been found in the following proteins:
-
- - Diacylglycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.107) [3], the enzyme that converts DAG into
- phosphatidate. It contains two copies of the DAG/PE-binding domain in its
- N-terminal section.
- - N-chimaerin. A brain specific protein which shows sequence similarities
- with the BCR protein at its C-terminal part and contains a single copy of
- the DAG/PE-binding domain at its N-terminal part. It has been shown [4,5]
- to be able to bind phorbol esters.
- - The raf/mil family of serine/threonine protein kinases. These protein
- kinases contain a single N-terminal copy of the DAG/PE-binding domain.
- - The unc-13 protein from Caenorhabditis elegans. Its function is not known
- but it contains a copy of the DAG/PE-binding domain in its central section
- and has been shown to bind specifically to a phorbol ester in the presence
- of calcium [6].
- - The vav oncogene. Vav was generated by a genetic rearrangement during gene
- transfer assays. Its expression seems to be restricted to cells of
- hematopoeitic origin. Vav seems [5,7] to contain a DAG/PE-binding domain in
- the central part of the protein.
-
- The DAG/PE-binding domain binds two zinc ions; the ligands of these metal ions
- are probably the six cysteines and two histidines that are conserved in this
- domain. We have developed a signature pattern that spans completely the DGA/PE
- domain.
-
- -Consensus pattern: H-x-[LIVMFYW]-x(10)-C-x(2)-C-x(3)-[LIVMF]-x(2,7)-[AGC]-
- [LIVMFYW]-x-C-x(2)-C-x(4)-H-x(2)-C-x(6,7)-C
- [All the C and H are probably involved in binding Zinc]
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
- -Last update: June 1994 / Pattern and text revised.
-
- [ 1] Azzi A., Boscoboinik D., Hensey C.
- Eur. J. Biochem. 208:547-557(1992).
- [ 2] Ono Y., Fujii T., Igarashi K., Kuno T., Tanaka C, Kikkawa U.,
- Nishizuka Y.
- Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86:4868-4871(1989).
- [ 3] Sakane F., Yamada K., Kanoh H., Yokoyama C., Tanabe T.
- Nature 344:345-348(1990).
- [ 4] Ahmed S., Kozma R., Monfries C., Hall C., Lim H.H., Smith P., Lim L.
- Biochem. J. 272:767-773(1990).
- [ 5] Ahmed S., Kozma R., Lee J., Monfries C., Harden N., Lim L.
- Biochem. J. 280:233-241(1991).
- [ 6] Ahmed S., Maruyama I.N., Kozma R., Lee J., Brenner S., Lim L.
- Biochem. J. 287:995-999(1992).
- [ 7] Boguski M.S., Bairoch A., Attwood T.K., Michaels G.S.
- Nature 358:113-113(1992).
-