title: SAM domains: uniform structure, diversity of function.
abstract: Sterile alpha motif (SAM) domains are known to exhibit diverse protein-protein interaction modes. They can form multiple self-association architectures and also bind to various non-SAM domain-containing proteins. Surprising new work adds a completely unanticipated function for some SAM domains - the ability to bind RNA. Such functional diversity within a homologous protein family presents a significant challenge for bioinformatic function assignment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA-DOE Center for Genomics and Proteomics, Molecular Biology Institute, Boyer Hall, 611 Charles E. Young Drive E, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1570, USA.
authors.forename: Chongwoo A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: James U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Bowie
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases