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Cloned out of library/PAK-interactive exchange factor pleckstrin homology (PH) domain There are two forms of Pix proteins: alpha Pix (also called Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) 6/90Cool-2) and beta Pix (GEF7/p85Cool-1). betaPix contains an N-terminal SH3 domain, a RhoGEF/DH domain, a PH domain, a GIT1 binding domain (GBD), and a C-terminal coiled-coil (CC) domain. alphaPix differs in that it contains a calponin homology (CH) domain, which interacts with beta-parvin, N-terminal to the SH3 domain. alphaPix is an exchange factor for Rac1 and Cdc42 and mediates Pak activation on cell adhesion to fibronectin. Mutations in alphaPix can cause X-linked mental retardation. alphaPix also interacts with Huntington's disease protein (htt), and enhances the aggregation of mutant htt (muthtt) by facilitating SDS-soluble muthtt-muthtt interactions. The DH-PH domain of a Pix was required for its binding to htt. In the majority of Rho GEF proteins, the DH-PH domain is responsible for the exchange activity. PH domains have diverse functions, but in general are involved in targeting proteins to the appropriate cellular location or in the interaction with a binding partner. They share little sequence conservation, but all have a common fold, which is electrostatically polarized. Less than 10% of PH domains bind phosphoinositide phosphates (PIPs) with high affinity and specificity. PH domains are distinguished from other PIP-binding domains by their specific high-affinity binding to PIPs with two vicinal phosphate groups: PtdIns(3,4)P2, PtdIns(4,5)P2 or PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 which results in targeting some PH domain proteins to the plasma membrane. A few display strong specificity in lipid binding. Any specificity is usually determined by loop regions or insertions in the N-terminus of the domain, which are not conserved across all PH domains. PH domains are found in cellular signaling proteins such as serine/threonine kinase, tyrosine kinases, regulators of G-proteins, endocytotic GTPases, adaptors, as well as cytoskeletal associated molecules and in lipid associated enzymes.
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