title: The LIM/double zinc-finger motif functions as a protein dimerization domain.
abstract: Protein-protein interactions resulting in dimerization and heterodimerization are of central importance in the control of gene expression and cell function. Proteins that share the 52-residue LIM/double zinc-finger domain are involved in a wide range of developmental and cellular controls. Some of these functions have been hypothesized to involve protein dimerization. In the present report we demonstrate, using both in vitro and cell-based studies, that a representative LIM protein, human cysteine-rich protein (hCRP), can efficiently homodimerize. The dimerization ability of hCRP is mapped to the LIM domains, can be transferred to an unrelated protein by fusion of a single minimal LIM/double zinc-finger segment, occurs in the absence as well as the presence of DNA, and appears to depend on coordination of two zinc atoms in the finger doublet. These observations support a specific role for protein dimerization in the function of proteins containing the LIM/double zinc-finger domain and expand the general spectrum of potential interactions mediated by zinc-finger motifs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-6145.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feuerstein
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Liebhaber
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000906:Antibodies; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011487:Protein Conformation; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D011506:Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016385:TATA Box; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C074370:cysteine-rich protein, mammalian; D005982:Glutathione Transferase