What is homeodomain motif?

The homeodomain is a common DNA-binding structural motif found in many eukaryotic regulatory proteins (1,2). Homeodomain proteins are involved in the transcriptional control of many developmentally important genes, and 143 human loci have been linked to various genetic and genomic disorders.

What is homeodomain containing transcription factor?

Members of this transcription factor family are characterized by the presence of a homeodomain, which is a 60 amino acid helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain.

What is the difference between homeobox and homeodomain?

The origin of homeobox genes is truly ancient, pre-dating the origin of animals. The 180-base-pair homeobox codes for a 60-residue chain known as the homeobox domain (or homeodomain). In plain English: the region of the gene is known as a homeobox and the region of the resulting protein is the homeodomain.

What is a homeodomain and how does it relate to homeotic genes?

Homeodomain proteins are considered to be master control genes, meaning that a single protein can regulate expression of many target genes. Homeodomain proteins direct the formation of the body axes and body structures during early embryonic development.

Does the homeodomain bind to a homeobox?

6.1 Introduction. Homeobox proteins are a large family of transcription factors (TFs) that contain a highly conserved DNA-binding domain of 60 amino acids known as the homeodomain.

What are homeodomain proteins?

The homeodomain is a highly conserved 60‐amino‐acid protein domain that is encoded by the homeobox and is found in organisms as diverse as mammals, insects, plants and yeast. Homeodomains function as DNA binding domains and are found in many transcription factors that control development and cell fate decisions.

What is the difference between homeobox and Hox genes?

A homeobox refers to a slightly conserved DNA sequence contained in some genes, regulating gene expression, and homeotic genes refer to the genes that regulate the development of anatomical structures in eukaryotes, while Hox genes refer to a subset of homeobox genes, which specify regions of the body plan of an embryo …

What is a zipper motif?

The leucine zipper (ZIP) motif consists of a periodic repetition of a leucine residue at every seventh position (heptad repeat) and forms an α-helical conformation, which facilitates dimerisation and in some cases higher oligomerisation of proteins by forming a parallel helix–helix association stabilised by formation …

What is a zinc finger motif?

A zinc finger is a small protein structural motif that is characterized by the coordination of one or more zinc ions (Zn2+) in order to stabilize the fold. It was originally coined to describe the finger-like appearance of a hypothesized structure from the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) transcription factor IIIA.