Dock6 (Dedicator of cytokinesis 6), also known as Zir1 is a large (~200 kDa)

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

involved in

intracellular This glossary of biology terms is a list of definitions of fundamental terms and concepts used in biology, the study of life and of living organisms. It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical definitions ...

signalling networks. It is a member of the DOCK-C subfamily of the DOCK family of

guanine nucleotide exchange factor Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) are proteins or protein domains that activate monomeric GTPases by stimulating the release of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) to allow binding of guanosine triphosphate (GTP). A variety of unrelated struc ...

s which function as activators of small

G protein G proteins, also known as guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, are a family of proteins that act as molecular switches inside cells, and are involved in transmitting signals from a variety of stimuli outside a cell to its interior. Their a ...

Discovery

Dock6 was identified as one of a family of proteins which share high

sequence similarity Sequence homology is the biological homology between DNA, RNA, or protein sequences, defined in terms of shared ancestry in the evolutionary history of life. Two segments of DNA can have shared ancestry because of three phenomena: either a sp ...

with Dock180, the archetypal member of the DOCK family. It has a similar domain arrangement to other DOCK proteins, with a

DHR1 domain DHR1 (DOCK homology region 1), also known as CZH1 or Docker1, is a protein domain of approximately 200–250 amino acids that is present in the DOCK family of signalling proteins. This domain binds phospholipids and so may assist in recruitment to ...

known in other proteins to bind

phospholipids Phospholipids, are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids t ...

, and a

DHR2 domain DHR2 (DOCK homology region 2), also known as CZH2 or Docker2, is a protein domain of approximately 450-550 amino acids that is present in the DOCK family of proteins. This domain functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) domain for ...

containing the GEF activity.

Function

There is currently very little information about the cellular role of this protein. However, Dock6 has been reported to exhibit dual GEF specificity towards the small G proteins Rac1 and Cdc42. It is the only DOCK family member reported to activate both of these G proteins. The same study also showed that

transfection Transfection is the process of deliberately introducing naked or purified nucleic acids into eukaryotic cells. It may also refer to other methods and cell types, although other terms are often preferred: " transformation" is typically used to des ...

of the Dock6 DHR2 domain into N1E-115

neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue. It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands but can also develop in the neck, chest, abdomen, or spine. Symptoms may include bone pain, a lump in th ...

cells promoted Rac- and Cdc42-dependent

neurite A neurite or neuronal process refers to any projection from the cell body of a neuron. This projection can be either an axon or a dendrite. The term is frequently used when speaking of immature or developing neurons, especially of cells in cultur ...

outgrowth, although the physiological significance of this has yet to be demonstrated.

Discovery

Function

References

Further reading