AN1 zinc finger
In molecular biology, the AN1-type zinc finger domain, which has a dimetal -bound alpha/beta fold. This domain was first identified as a zinc finger at the C terminus of AN1 SWISSPROT, a ubiquitin-like protein in Xenopus laevis. The AN1-type zinc finger contains six conserved cysteines and two histidines that could potentially coordinate 2 zinc atoms.
Certain stress-associated proteins contain AN1 domain, often in combination with A20 zinc finger domains or C2H2 domains. For example, the human protein Znf216 has an A20 zinc-finger at the N terminus and an AN1 zinc-finger at the C terminus, acting to negatively regulate the NFkappaB activation pathway and to interact with components of the immune response like RIP, IKKgamma and TRAF6. The interact of Znf216 with IKK-gamma and RIP is mediated by the A20 zinc-finger domain, while its interaction with TRAF6 is mediated by the AN1 zinc-finger domain; therefore, both zinc-finger domains are involved in regulating the immune response. The AN1 zinc finger domain is also found in proteins containing a ubiquitin-like domain, which are involved in the ubiquitination pathway. Proteins containing an AN1-type zinc finger include:
- Ascidian posterior end mark 6 protein.
- Human AWP1 protein, which is expressed during early embryogenesis.
- Human immunoglobulin mu binding protein 2, mutations which cause muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1.