This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 564, an undergraduate capstone course at UW-Madison.
What are protein domains?
Protein domains are distinct units of a protein that are often responsible for a specific structure or function, thus contributing to the overall role of the protein. Proteins can consist of multiple domains that each have individual functions, such as catalyzing a certain reaction or binding a specific molecule. These domains can exist in a wide range of biological contexts, therefore similar protein domains can be found in different proteins with different functions [1].
What domains are found in p53?
Domains descriptions:
p53_TAD (transactivation domain): protein binding; amino acids 5 - 29. [Binding of regulatory proteins at this site regulates the transcription of p53 protein]
p53: DNA-binding domain; amino acids 95-289.
p53_tetramer: protein tetramerization; amino acids 319-358;
Small pink box: low-complexity region; this region is where the SMART and Pfam programs suspect there to be a domain.
p53_TAD (transactivation domain): protein binding; amino acids 5 - 29. [Binding of regulatory proteins at this site regulates the transcription of p53 protein]
p53: DNA-binding domain; amino acids 95-289.
p53_tetramer: protein tetramerization; amino acids 319-358;
Small pink box: low-complexity region; this region is where the SMART and Pfam programs suspect there to be a domain.
How well are the TP53 domains conserved between species?
Conclusion
SMART and Pfam identify only 3 major domains in the p53 protein. This suggests that these domains each play many roles in protein function. In addition, these domains are well-conserved across several model organisms, which signifies that different organisms can be used to test domain functions in human diseases.
References:
[1] EMBL-EBI. (2016). What are protein domains? Retrieved January 31, 2017. https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/introduction-protein-classification-ebi/protein-classification/what-are-protein-domains
[1] EMBL-EBI. (2016). What are protein domains? Retrieved January 31, 2017. https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/introduction-protein-classification-ebi/protein-classification/what-are-protein-domains