Modified RING finger, HC subclass (C4C4-type), found in RNF144 proteins
This group includes RNF144A and RNF144B, both of which are transmembrane (TM) domain-containing RBR-type E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases. RNF144A, also known as UbcM4-interacting protein 4 (UIP4) or ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 7-interacting protein 4, targets DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), and thus promote DNA damage-induced cell apoptosis. It is transcriptionally repressed by metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) and inhibits MTA1-driven cancer cell migration and invasion. RNF144B, also known as PIR2, IBR domain-containing protein 2 (IBRDC2), or p53-inducible RING finger protein (p53RFP), induces p53-dependent but caspase-independent apoptosis. It interacts with E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes UbcH7 and UbcH8, but not with UbcH5. It is involved in ubiquitination and degradation of p21, a p53 downstream protein promoting growth arrest and antagonizing apoptosis, suggesting a role in switching a cell from p53-mediated growth arrest to apoptosis. Moreover, RNF144B regulates the levels of Bax, a pro-apoptotic protein from the Bcl-2 family, and protects cells from unprompted Bax activation and cell death. It also regulates epithelial homeostasis by mediating degradation of p21WAF1 and p63. Both RNF144A and RNF144B contain an RBR domain followed by a potential single-TM domain. The RBR domain was 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 C4C4-type RING finger whose overall folding is similar to that of the C3HC4-type RING-HC finger. It is required for RBR-mediated ubiquitination.
Comment:consensus of the typical C3HC4-type RING-HC finger: C-X2-C-X(9-39)-C-X(1-3)-H-X(2-3)-C-X2-C-X(4-48)-C-X2-C, 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.",