真菌中锌簇蛋白的结构和功能

Structures and functions of zinc cluster proteins in fungi

摘要:

锌簇家族蛋白即Zn₂Cys₆类锌指蛋白，是真菌中特有的一类蛋白，它们属于转录因子类，广泛参与真菌中初级和次级代谢、胁迫应答和细胞分裂等生命活动的调控。锌簇蛋白主要包括N端的DNA结合结构域、中间的调节结构域和C端的酸性区域，其中DNA结合结构域包含锌指基序并负责结合靶基因的启动子。目前已经解析了多个锌簇家族转录因子DNA结合结构域的三维结构，并发现该家族中一些蛋白能够参与调控多个基因的表达，但缺乏对其结构、动力学和功能关系的全面分析。本文综合分析了不同锌簇蛋白与DNA结合的结构特征，总结其结构域与功能的关系，指出锌簇蛋白研究的重要方向，旨在为锌簇家族蛋白的深入研究提供思路。

Abstract:

Zinc cluster proteins, or Zn₂Cys₆ binuclear cluster proteins, are a family of transcription factors unique to the fungal kingdom. They are involved in diverse cellular processes of fungi, such as primary and secondary metabolism, stress response, and cell division. Zinc cluster proteins contain the DNA binding domain at the N-terminus, the regulatory domain in the middle, and the acidic activating domain at the C-terminus. The DNA binding domain, comprising a zinc finger motif, is responsible for binding to promoters of the target genes. At the moment, the three-dimensional structures of the DNA binding domains of some zinc cluster transcription factors have been resolved, and some proteins in this family have been verified to regulate the expression of multiple genes. However, no comprehensive report on the structures, dynamics and functions of them is available. Therefore, we analyzed the structural characteristics of different zinc cluster proteins, summarized the relationship between the domains and functions, and pointed out the future research focuses, hoping to provide a reference for in-depth research on zinc cluster proteins in the future.