HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

In
molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and phys ...
, binding domain is a
protein domain In molecular biology, a protein domain is a region of a protein's polypeptide chain that is self-stabilizing and that folds independently from the rest. Each domain forms a compact folded three-dimensional structure. Many proteins consist of ...
which binds to a specific atom or molecule, such as
calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...
or DNA. A protein domain is a part of a
protein sequence Protein primary structure is the linear sequence of amino acids in a peptide or protein. By convention, the primary structure of a protein is reported starting from the amino-terminal (N) end to the carboxyl-terminal (C) end. Protein biosyn ...
and a
tertiary structure Protein tertiary structure is the three dimensional shape of a protein. The tertiary structure will have a single polypeptide chain "backbone" with one or more protein secondary structures, the protein domains. Amino acid side chains may i ...
that can change or evolve, function, and live by itself independent of the rest of the protein chain. Upon binding, proteins may undergo a
conformational change In biochemistry, a conformational change is a change in the shape of a macromolecule, often induced by environmental factors. A macromolecule is usually flexible and dynamic. Its shape can change in response to changes in its environment or oth ...
. Binding domains are essential for the function of many proteins. They are essential because they help splice, assemble, and translate proteins.Yong, J., T. J. Golembe, D. J. Battle, L. Pellizzoni, and G. Dreyfuss. "SnRNAs Contain Specific SMN-binding Domains That Are Essential for SnRNP Assembly". ''Molecular and Cellular Biology''. U.S. National Library of Medicine, April 2004. Retrieved April 2017. Examples of binding domains include the
Zinc finger A zinc finger is a small protein structural motif that is characterized by the coordination of one or more zinc ions (Zn2+) in order to stabilize the fold. It was originally coined to describe the finger-like appearance of a hypothesized struct ...
, which binds to DNA, and
EF hand The EF hand is a helix–loop–helix structural domain or ''motif'' found in a large family of calcium-binding proteins. The EF-hand motif contains a helix–loop–helix topology, much like the spread thumb and forefinger of the human hand, i ...
, which binds to calcium.


See also

*
DNA-binding domain A DNA-binding domain (DBD) is an independently folded protein domain that contains at least one structural motif that recognizes double- or single-stranded DNA. A DBD can recognize a specific DNA sequence (a recognition sequence) or have a gener ...
*
Receptor (biochemistry) In biochemistry and pharmacology, receptors are chemical structures, composed of protein, that receive and transduce signals that may be integrated into biological systems. These signals are typically chemical messengers which bind to a recept ...


References

Protein structure Protein domains {{protein-stub