In molecular biology, the cold-shock domain (CSD) is a
protein domain of about 70
amino acids which has been found in
prokaryotic and
eukaryotic DNA-binding
proteins.
Part of this domain is highly similar to the RNP-1
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
-binding
motif
Motif may refer to:
General concepts
* Motif (chess composition), an element of a move in the consideration of its purpose
* Motif (folkloristics), a recurring element that creates recognizable patterns in folklore and folk-art traditions
* Moti ...
.
When ''
Escherichia coli'' is exposed to a temperature drop from 37 to 10 degrees Celsius, a 4–5 hour lag phase occurs, after which
growth is resumed at a reduced
rate
Rate or rates may refer to:
Finance
* Rates (tax), a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom used to fund local government
* Exchange rate, rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another
Mathematics and science
* Rate (mathema ...
.
During the lag phase, the expression of around 13 proteins, which contain cold shock domains is increased 2–10 fold.
These so-called '
cold shock'
proteins are thought to help the cell to survive in
temperatures lower than optimum growth temperature, by contrast with
heat shock proteins, which help the
cell to survive in temperatures greater than the optimum, possibly by condensation of the
chromosome and organisation of the
prokaryotic nucleoid
The nucleoid (meaning ''nucleus-like'') is an irregularly shaped region within the prokaryotic cell that contains all or most of the genetic material. The chromosome of a prokaryote is circular, and its length is very large compared to the cell dim ...
.
References
{{InterPro content, IPR002059
Protein domains