RING finger, HC subclass, found in cullin-9 (CUL-9) and similar proteins
CUL-9, also known as UbcH7-associated protein 1 (H7-AP1), p53-associated parkin-like cytoplasmic protein, or PARC, is a cytoplasmic RBR-type E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase that is a tumor suppressor and promotes p53-dependent apoptosis. It mediates the ubiquitination and degradation of cytosolic cytochrome c to promote survival in neurons and cancer cells. It is also a critical downstream effector of the 3M complex in the maintenance of microtubules and genome integrity. Moreover, CUL-9, together with CUL-7, forms homodimers and heterodimers, as well as some atypical cullin RING ligase complexes, which may exhibit ubiquitin ligase activity. CUL-9 contains a CPH domain (Cul7, PARC, and HERC2), a DOC (DOC1/APC10) domain, cullin homology (CH) domains linked with E3 ligase function, and a C-terminal RBR domain previously known as RING-BetweenRING-RING domain or TRIAD [two RING fingers and a DRIL (double RING finger linked)] domain. Based on current understanding of the structural biology of RBR ligases, the nomenclature of RBR has been corrected as RING-BRcat (benign-catalytic)-Rcat (required-for-catalysis) recently. The RBR (RING1-BRcat-Rcat) domain uses an auto-inhibitory mechanism to modulate ubiquitination activity, as well as a hybrid mechanism that combines aspects from both RING and HECT E3 ligase function to facilitate the ubiquitination reaction. This model corresponds to the RING domain, a C3HC4-type RING-HC finger required for RBR-mediated ubiquitination.
Comment:C3HC4-type RING-HC finger consensus motif: C-X2-C-X(9-39)-C-X(1-3)-H-X(2-3)-C-X2-C-X(4-48)-C-X2-C, where X is any amino acid and the number of X residues varies in different fingers
Comment:A RING finger typically binds two zinc atoms, with its Cys and/or His side chains in a unique "cross-brace" arrangement.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",