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PROSITE documentation PDOC50802
OTU domain profile


Description

An homology region containing four conserved motifs has been identified in proteins from eukaryotes, several groups of viruses and the pathogenic bacteria Chlamydia pneumoniae [1]. None of these proteins has a known biochemical function but low sequence similarity with the polyprotein regions of arteriviruses has lead to suggest that it could possess cysteine protease activity [1]. In this case, the conserved cysteine and aspartate in motif I and the histidine in motif IV could be the catalytic residues. Motifs II and III have a more limited sequence conservation and could be involved in substrate recognition [1].

It has been proposed that the eukaryotic proteins containing an OTU domain could mediate proteolytic events involved in signaling associated with the modification of chromatin structure and control of cell proliferation [1].

Some proteins containing a OTU domain are listed below [1]:

  • Ovarian Tumor (OTU), a Drosophila protein involved in oocyte morphogenesis. As the putative catalytic cysteine is replaced by a serine it is not clear whether OTU is an active protease or in inactivated protease homologue.
  • Putative HIV-1 induced protein (HIN1), the human homologue of OTU.
  • B0546.2 protein, the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of OTU.
  • M2 protein from La France disease virus.
  • Tumor-necrosis-factor-α-induced protein A20 (TNP3) from mammals. It protects cells from apoptosis and blocks activation of lymphoid cells. In addition to the OTU domain, TNP3 contains several copies of a zinc finger like motif that is also present in other proteins implicated in ubiquitin- dependent proteolysis.
  • Hypothetical protein YFL044C from yeast, a protein that also contains a C2H2 zinc finger.
  • Hypothetical protein F12K2.7 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana.
  • Hypothetical protein C25D7.8 protein from Caenorhabditis elegans.
  • Hypothetical protein CPN0483 from Chlamydia pneumoniae.

The profile we developed covers the entire OTU domain.

Last update:

December 2001 / First entry.

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Technical section

PROSITE method (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:

OTU, PS50802; OTU domain profile  (MATRIX)


Reference

1AuthorsMakarova K.S. Aravind L. Koonin E.V.
TitleA novel superfamily of predicted cysteine proteases from eukaryotes, viruses and Chlamydia pneumoniae.
SourceTrends Biochem. Sci. 25:50-52(2000).
PubMed ID10664582



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