The Basic Leucine Zipper Domain (bZIP domain) is found in many
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
binding eukaryotic proteins. One part of the domain contains a region that mediates sequence specific DNA binding properties and the
leucine zipper
A leucine zipper (or leucine scissors) is a common three-dimensional structural motif in proteins. They were first described by Landschulz and collaborators in 1988 when they found that an enhancer binding protein had a very characteristic 30-amin ...
that is required to hold together (dimerize) two DNA binding regions. The DNA binding region comprises a number of basic amino acids such as
arginine
Arginine is the amino acid with the formula (H2N)(HN)CN(H)(CH2)3CH(NH2)CO2H. The molecule features a guanidinium, guanidino group appended to a standard amino acid framework. At physiological pH, the carboxylic acid is deprotonated (−CO2−) a ...
and
lysine
Lysine (symbol Lys or K) is an α-amino acid that is a precursor to many proteins. Lysine contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated form when the lysine is dissolved in water at physiological pH), an α-carboxylic acid group ( ...
. Proteins containing this domain are
transcription factors.
bZIP transcription factors
bZIP transcription factors are found in all eukaryotes and form one of the largest families of dimerizing TFs.
An evolutionary study from 2008 revealed that 4 bZIP genes were encoded by the genome of the
most recent common ancestor
A most recent common ancestor (MRCA), also known as a last common ancestor (LCA), is the most recent individual from which all organisms of a set are inferred to have descended. The most recent common ancestor of a higher taxon is generally assu ...
of all plants.
Interactions between bZIP transcription factors are numerous and complex
and play important roles in cancer development
in epithelial tissues, steroid hormone synthesis by cells of endocrine tissues,
factors affecting reproductive functions,
and several other phenomena that affect human health.
bZIP domain containing proteins
*
AP-1 fos/
jun heterodimer that forms a
transcription factor
In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription (genetics), transcription of genetics, genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding t ...
*
Jun-B transcription factor
*
CREB cAMP response element transcription factor
* OPAQUE2 (O2) transcription factor of the 22-kD zein gene that encodes a class of storage proteins in the
endosperm
The endosperm is a tissue produced inside the seeds of most of the flowering plants following double fertilization. It is triploid (meaning three chromosome sets per nucleus) in most species, which may be auxin-driven. It surrounds the Embryo#Pla ...
of
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
(''Zea mays'') kernels
*
NFE2L2 or Nrf2
*
Bzip Maf transcription factors
Human proteins containing this domain
ATF1;
ATF2;
ATF4;
ATF5;
ATF6;
ATF7;
BACH1;
BACH2;
BATF;
BATF2;
CEBPA;
CEBPB;
CEBPD;
CEBPE;
CEBPG;
CEBPZ;
CREB1;
CREB3;
CREB3L1;
CREB3L2;
CREB3L3;
CREB3L4;
CREB5;
CREBL1;
CREM;
E4BP4;
FOSL1;
FOSL2;
JUN;
JUNB;
JUND;
MAFA;
MAFB;
MAFF;
MAFG; NRL;
C-MAF;
MAFK;
NFE2;
NFE2L2;
NFE2L3;
SNFT;
XBP1
References
External links
bZIP domain entryin the
SMART databasebZIP familya
PlantTFDB: Plant Transcription Factor DatabasePlant bZIP transcription factors
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bzip Domain
Protein domains
DNA-binding proteins