LIM domain

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Structure of the 4th LIM of PINCH. Zinc atoms are shown in grey.
Structure of the 4th LIM of PINCH. Zinc atoms are shown in grey.

'LIM domains' are protein structural domains, comprised of two contiguous zinc finger domains, separated by a two-amino acid residue hydrophobic linker.[1] They are named after their initial discovery in the proteins Lin11, Isl-1 & Mec-3.[2] LIM-domain containing proteins have been shown to play roles in cytoskeletal organisation, organ development and oncogenesis. LIM-domains mediate protein:protein interactions that are critical to cellular processes.

LIM domains have highly divergent sequences, apart from certain key residues. The sequence divergence allow a great many different binding sites to be grafted onto the same basic domain. The conserved residues are those involved in zinc binding or the hydrophobic core of the protein. The sequence signature of LIM domains are as follows:

[C]-[X]2-4-[C]-[X]13-19-[W]-[H]-[X]2-4-[C]-[F]-[LVI]-[C]-[X]2-4-[C]-[X]13-20-C-[X]2-4-[C]

Lim domain organsiation
Lim domain organsiation

LIM domains frequently occur in multiples, as seen in proteins such as TES, LMO4, and can also be attached to other domains in order to confer a binding or targeting function upon them, such as LIM-kinase.


[edit] References

  1. ^ Kadrmas JL, Beckerle MC (2004). "The LIM domain: from the cytoskeleton to the nucleus". Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 5 (11): 920–31. doi:10.1038/nrm1499. PMID 15520811. 
  2. ^ Bach I (2000). "The LIM domain: regulation by association". Mech. Dev. 91 (1-2): 5–17. doi:10.1016/S0925-4773(99)00314-7. PMID 10704826.