PROSITE documentation PDOC50934

SWIRM domain profile

The SWIRM domain is a globular module of about 85 residues that was named after the proteins SWI3, RSC8 and MOIRA in which it was first recognized. It is found in eukaryotic chromatin proteins and several other uncharacterized proteins. The SWIRM domain occurs in various distinct domain-architecture contexts, suggesting that it is an evolutionarily mobile domain. It is found associated with other domains, such as the ZZ-type zinc finger (see <PDOC50135>), the Myb DNA-binding domain (see <PDOC00037>), the HORMA domain (see <PDOC50815>), the amino-oxidase domain, the chromo domain (see <PDOC00517>) and the JAB1/PAD1domain. The SWIRM domain is predicted to mediate specific protein-protein interactions in the assembly of chromatin-protein complexes [1].

Secondary structure predictions indicate the presence of four distinct α helices. Hence it is predicted that the SWIRM domain is likely to form a globular structure in the form of a tetrahelical bundle [1].

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

• Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription regulatory protein SWI3. It is a component of the SWI/SNF global transcription activator complex.
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae RSC8. It is a component of the RSC complex.
• Drosophila MOIRA, a brahma-associated putative chromatin-remodeling factor.
• Vertebrate SWI/SNF complex 155 kDa subunit (BAF155).
• Vertebrate SWI/SNF complex 170 kDa subunit (BAF170).
• Rice protein similar to putative SWI/SNF complex subunit BAF170.
• Arabidopsis thaliana meiotic asynaptic mutant 1 protein, a homolog of the yeast HOP1 protein.
• Eukaryotic transcriptional adapter 2-like (ADA2-like) protein. It is a chromatin associated protein that is known to mediate protein-protein interactions.
• Caenorhabditis elegans suppressor of presenilin 5, a potential amine oxidoreductase, which probably acts as a corepressor protein.

The profile we developed covers the entire SWIRM domain.