RING finger (Really Interesting New Gene) domain and U-box domain superfamily; The RING finger is a specialized type of Zn-finger of 40 to 60 residues that binds two atoms of zinc. It is defined by the "cross-brace" motif that chelates zinc atoms by eight amino acid residues, typically Cys or His, arranged in a characteristic spacing. Canonical RING motifs have been categorized into two major subclasses, RING-HC (C3HC4-type) and RING-H2 (C3H2C3-type), according to their Cys/His content. There are also many variants of RING fingers: some have different Cys/His patterns while some lack a single Cys or His residue at typical Zn ligand positions (the fourth or eighth zinc ligand is prevalently exchanged for an Asp, which can indeed chelate Zn in a RING finger as well). C4C4-, C3HC3D-, C2H2C4-, and C3HC5-type RING fingers are closely related to RING-HC fingers. In contrast, C4HC3- (RING-CH alias RINGv), C3H3C2-, C3H2C2D-, C3DHC3-, and C4HC2H-type RING fingers are more closely related to RING-H2 fingers. However, not all RING finger-containing proteins display regular RING finger features, and the RING finger family has turned out to be multifarious. The degenerate RING fingers of the Siz/PIAS RING (SP-RING) family proteins and sporulation protein RMD5, are characterized by lacking the second, fifth, and sixth Zn2+ ion-coordinating residues. They bind only one Zn2+ ion. On the other hand, the RING fingers of the human APC11 and RBX1 proteins can bind a third Zn atom since they harbor four additional Zn ligands. U-box is a modified form of the RING finger domain that lacks metal chelating Cys and His residues. It resembles the cross-brace RING structure consisting of three beta-sheets and a single alpha-helix, which would be stabilized by salt bridges instead of chelated metal ions. U-box proteins are widely distributed among eukaryotic organisms and show a higher prevalence in plants than in other organisms. RING finger/U-box-containing proteins are a group of diverse proteins with a variety of cellular functions, including oncogenesis, development, viral replication, signal transduction, the cell cycle and apoptosis. Many of them are ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3s) that serve as scaffolds for binding to ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s, also referred to as ubiquitin carrier proteins or UBCs) in close proximity to substrate proteins, which enable efficient transfer of ubiquitin from E2 to the substrates.

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gi 46518496   3 WRLPTGHQLCRLCLLRKPRPAL 24
Cdd:cd16537  20 YRLPCGHLLCRPCLAEKQKSLA 41

RING finger, HC subclass, found in RING finger protein 37 (RNF37); RNF37, also known as KIAA0860, U-box domain-containing protein 5 (UBOX5), UbcM4-interacting protein 5 (UIP5), or ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 7-interacting protein 5, is an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase found exclusively in the nucleus as part of a nuclear dot-like structure. It interacts with the molecular chaperone VCP/p97 protein. RNF37 contains a U-box domain followed by a potential nuclear location signal (NLS) and a C-terminal C3HC4-type RING-HC finger. The U-box domain is a modified RING finger domain that lacks the hallmark metal-chelating cysteines and histidines of the latter, and is likely to adopt a RING finger-like conformation. The presence of the U-box, but not of the RING finger, is required for the E3 activity. The U-box domain can directly interact with several E2 enzymes, including UbcM2, UbcM3, UbcM4, UbcH5, and UbcH8, suggesting a similar function as the RING finger in the ubiquitination pathway. This model corresponds to the RING-HC finger.

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gi 46518496   3 WRLPTGHQLCRLCLLRKPRPAL 24
Cdd:cd16537  20 YRLPCGHLLCRPCLAEKQKSLA 41

RING finger, HC subclass, found in RING finger protein 37 (RNF37); RNF37, also known as KIAA0860, U-box domain-containing protein 5 (UBOX5), UbcM4-interacting protein 5 (UIP5), or ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 7-interacting protein 5, is an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase found exclusively in the nucleus as part of a nuclear dot-like structure. It interacts with the molecular chaperone VCP/p97 protein. RNF37 contains a U-box domain followed by a potential nuclear location signal (NLS) and a C-terminal C3HC4-type RING-HC finger. The U-box domain is a modified RING finger domain that lacks the hallmark metal-chelating cysteines and histidines of the latter, and is likely to adopt a RING finger-like conformation. The presence of the U-box, but not of the RING finger, is required for the E3 activity. The U-box domain can directly interact with several E2 enzymes, including UbcM2, UbcM3, UbcM4, UbcH5, and UbcH8, suggesting a similar function as the RING finger in the ubiquitination pathway. This model corresponds to the RING-HC finger.

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gi 46518496   3 WRLPTGHQLCRLCLLRKPRPAL 24
Cdd:cd16537  20 YRLPCGHLLCRPCLAEKQKSLA 41