Small but versatile: the extraordinary functional and structural diversity of the beta-grasp fold.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The beta-grasp fold (beta-GF), prototyped by ubiquitin (UB), has been recruited for a strikingly diverse range of biochemical functions. These functions include providing a scaffold for different enzymatic active sites (e.g. NUDIX phosphohydrolases) and iron-sulfur clusters, RNA-soluble-ligand and co-factor-binding, sulfur transfer, adaptor functions in signaling, assembly of macromolecular complexes and post-translational protein modification. To understand the basis for the functional versatility of this small fold we undertook a comprehensive sequence-structure analysis of the fold and developed a natural classification for its members.

Results

As a result we were able to define the core distinguishing features of the fold and numerous elaborations, including s

SUBMITTER: Burroughs AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1949818 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature