PROSITE documentation PDOC50815

HORMA domain profile

The HORMA domain (for HOP1, REV7 and MAD2) is an about 180-240 amino acids region containing several conserved motifs. Whereas the MAD2 and the REV7 proteins are almost entirely made up of HORMA domains, HOP1 contains a HORMA domain in its N-terminal region and a Zn-finger domain, whose general arrangement of metal-chelating residues is similar to that of the PHD finger, in the C-terminal region. The HORMA domain is found in proteins showing a direct association with chromatin of all crown group eukaryotes. It has been suggested that the HORMA domain recognizes chromatin states that result from DNA adducts, double-stranded breaks or non-attachment to the spindle and acts as an adaptor that recruits other proteins involved in repair [1].

Secondary structure prediction suggests that the HORMA domain is globular and could potentially form a complex β-sheet(s) with associated α-helices [1].

Some proteins known to contain a HORMA domain are listed below:

• Eukaryotic HOP1, a conserved protein that is involved in meiotic- synaptonemal-complex assembly.
• Eukaryotic mitotic-arrest-deficient 2 protein (MAD2), a key component of the mitotic-spindle-assembly checkpoint.
• Eukaryotic REV7, a subunit of the DNA polymerase zeta that is involved in translesion, template-independent DNA synthesis.

We have developed a profile that covers the entire HORMA domain.