title: The pur protein family: genetic and structural features in development and disease.
abstract: The Pur proteins are an ancient family of sequence-specific single-stranded nucleic acid-binding proteins. They bind a G-rich element in either single- or double-stranded nucleic acids and are capable of displacing the complementary C-rich strand. Recently several reports have described Pur family member knockouts, mutations, and disease aberrations. Together with a recent crystal structure of Purα, these data reveal conserved structural features of these proteins that have been adapted to serve functions unique to higher eukaryotes. In humans Pur proteins are critical for myeloid cell development, muscle development, and brain development, including trafficking of mRNA to neuronal dendrites. Pur family members have been implicated in diseases as diverse as cancer, premature aging, and fragile-X mental retardation syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507-1696, USA. johnsoEM@evms.edu
authors.forename: Edward M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Dianne C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D024510:Muscle Development; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C076035:c-MYC-associated zinc finger protein