IBR   13079
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR Y CELULAR DE ROSARIO
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
capítulos de libros
Título:
Retroviral Zinc Knuckles in Eukaryotic Cellular Proteins
Autor/es:
ARMAS, P.; CALCATERRA, N. B.
Libro:
Zinc Fingers: Structure, Properties and Applications
Editorial:
Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Referencias:
Lugar: New York; Año: 2012; p. 51 - 80
Resumen:
<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:18.0pt; line-height:110%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} p.Abstract, li.Abstract, div.Abstract {mso-style-name:Abstract; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:18.0pt; margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:18.0pt; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:18.0pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Nucleocapsid (NC) proteins of retroviruses like HIV, derived from the proteolysis of the gag-encoded GAG polyprotein, are ≈ 50-amino acids long proteins that play pivotal roles in the viral lifecycle. These proteins contain one major functional domain consisting of two small zinc finger-like motifs named CCHC zinc knuckles conformed by the sequence Cys-X2-Cys-X4-His-X4-Cys, where X can be any amino acid.The change of critical zinc binding amino acids; i.e., the three Cys or the His, to non-zinc binding residues results in virions that are defective in RNA packaging and replication. Interestingly, several proteins from eukaryotic cells contain from one to nine CCHC zinc knuckles and play essential functions in the metabolism of nucleic acids.Although NC proteins were widely studied, scant information exists about such cellular proteins. Here we classify cellular CCHC zinc knuckle-containing proteins into two main groups. One group consists of proteins containing one to three CCHC zinc knuckles interspersed among other functional motifs.The other group is conformed by proteins that contain four or more tandem repeated CCHC zinc knuckles with relative short linkers between them, forming a multi-zinc knuckle core domain.Moreover, we revise the function and manner of action of the most representative eukaryotic cellular CCHC-zinc knuckle proteins of each group, and carry out a structural and functional comparison between retroviral and cellular eukaryotic CCHC zinc knuckle-containing proteins. Finally, we point out some issues that should be explored to better understand the function of CCHC zinc knuckles in eukaryotic cellular proteins.