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Ca2+ promoted Ras inactivator pleckstrin homology (PH) domain CAPRI (also called RASA4/RAS p21 protein activator (GTPase activating protein) 4/GAPL/FLJ59070/KIAA0538/MGC131890) is a member of the GAP1 family of GTPase-activating proteins. CAPRI contains two fully conserved C2 domains, a PH domain, a RasGAP domain, and a BTK domain. Its catalytic GAP domain has dual RasGAP and RapGAP activities, while its C2 domains bind phospholipids in the presence of Ca2+. Both CAPRI and RASAL are calcium-activated RasGAPs that inactivate Ras at the plasma membrane. Thereby enhancing the weak intrinsic GTPase activity of RAS proteins resulting in the inactive GDP-bound form of RAS and allowing control of cellular proliferation and differentiation. CAPRI and RASAL differ in that CAPRI is an amplitude sensor while RASAL senses calcium oscillations. This difference between them resides not in their C2 domains, but in their PH domains leading to speculation that this might reflect an association with either phosphoinositides and/or proteins. 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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