title: The FHA domain is a modular phosphopeptide recognition motif.
abstract: FHA domains are conserved sequences of 65-100 amino acid residues found principally within eukaryotic nuclear proteins, but which also exist in certain prokaryotes. The FHA domain is thought to mediate protein-protein interactions, but its mode of action has yet to be elucidated. Here, we show that the two highly divergent FHA domains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad53p, a protein kinase involved in cell cycle checkpoint control, possess phosphopeptide-binding specificity. We also demonstrate that other FHA domains bind peptides in a phospho-dependent manner. These findings indicate that the FHA domain is a phospho-specific protein-protein interaction motif and have important implications for mechanisms of intracellular signaling in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research Campaign, Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Durocher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henckel
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fersht
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004249:DNA Damage; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010748:Phosphopeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells; D011485:Protein Binding; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010748:Phosphopeptides; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C069930:rad9 protein; D011494:Protein Kinases; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C067022:RAD53 protein, S cerevisiae