PROSITE documentation PDOC51089Headpiece (HP) domain profile
Headpiece is an ~70-residue F-actin-binding domain present at the C terminus of many cytoskeletal proteins [1]. It was first discovered in the epithelial brush border protein villin, a member of the gelsolin family, which consists of six gelsolin repeats, followed by the C-terminal headpiece domain [2].
The headpiece domain folds in a very compact globular structure organized around an extended hydrophobic core (see <PDB:1QQV>) [1]. It is composed of a highly α-helical C-terminal subdomain and an N-terminal subdomain made up of bends and turns with a short α-helix. Most of the actin-binding residues identified by biochemical studies are localized on a single face on the surface of the domain [3].
Some of the proteins known to contain a headpiece domain are listed below:
- Eukaryotic villin protein, a Ca(2+)-regulated actin-binding protein. Villin has been demonstrated to bundle and sever F-actin [4].
- Drosophila villin-like protein quail.
- Vertebrate dematin, an actin-bundling protein.
- Animal actin-binding LIM (AbLIM) or limatin protein. It may act as scaffold protein and may play a role in axon guidance.
- Vertebrate advillin protein. It may function in the morphogenesis of neuronal cells which form ganglia.
- Supervillin protein. It forms a high-affinity link between the actin cytoskeleton and the membrane.
The profile we developed covers the whole headpiece domain.
Last update:March 2005 / First entry.
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PROSITE method (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:
| 1 | Authors | Vardar D. Buckley D.A. Frank B.S. McKnight C.J. |
| Title | NMR structure of an F-actin-binding 'headpiece' motif from villin. | |
| Source | J. Mol. Biol. 294:1299-1310(1999). | |
| PubMed ID | 10600386 | |
| DOI | 10.1006/jmbi.1999.3321 |
| 2 | Authors | Finidori J. Friederich E. Kwiatkowski D.J. Louvard D. |
| Title | In vivo analysis of functional domains from villin and gelsolin. | |
| Source | J. Cell Biol. 116:1145-1155(1992). | |
| PubMed ID | 1310994 |
| 3 | Authors | Vermeulen W. Vanhaesebrouck P. Van Troys M. Verschueren M. Fant F. Goethals M. Ampe C. Martins J.C. Borremans F.A. |
| Title | Solution structures of the C-terminal headpiece subdomains of human villin and advillin, evaluation of headpiece F-actin-binding requirements. | |
| Source | Protein Sci. 13:1276-1287(2004). | |
| PubMed ID | 15096633 | |
| DOI | 10.1110/ps.03518104 |
| 4 | Authors | Bretscher A. Weber K. |
| Title | Villin is a major protein of the microvillus cytoskeleton which binds both G and F actin in a calcium-dependent manner. | |
| Source | Cell 20:839-847(1980). | |
| PubMed ID | 6893424 |
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