In
molecular biology, the
protein domain Whirly is a
transcription factor commonly found in plants. This means they aid the
transcription
Transcription refers to the process of converting sounds (voice, music etc.) into letters or musical notes, or producing a copy of something in another medium, including:
Genetics
* Transcription (biology), the copying of DNA into RNA, the fir ...
of
genes
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
from
DNA into a complementary copy of
mRNA. In particular, in plants, they aid the transcription of plant defence genes.
Function
The function of Whirly proteins is to regulate the expression of
genes
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
that aid defence. They are
transcription factors which bind to single stranded
DNA in order to regulate
gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product that enables it to produce end products, protein or non-coding RNA, and ultimately affect a phenotype, as the final effect. The ...
. When a
pathogen enters,
salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
is released as a signalling molecule which affects Whirly, allowing the expression of defence genes to occur.
Structure
This protein contains 10
beta strands
Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labio ...
and 2
alpha helices.
History
PBF-2 was the first protein in the Whirly family to be discovered.
In the past, the protein has also been named p24.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Whirly familya
PlantTFDB: Plant Transcription Factor Database
Protein families
Transcription factors