first malignant brain tumor (MBT) repeat found in Drosophila melanogaster Polycomb protein sex comb on midleg and similar proteins
Sex comb on midleg (Scm) is a putative zinc finger protein that functions as a transcriptional regulator which represses multiple homeotic genes during embryonic stages. It coordinates Polycomb group (PcG) complexes, PRC1 (PcG-repressive complex 1) or PRC2 (PcG-repressive complex 2), and polymerizes to produce broad domains of PcG silencing. Scm contains two MBT (malignant brain tumor) repeats. The MBT repeat is a protein module that recognizes methylated lysine residues on histones. MBT repeats contain a semi-aromatic cage to accommodate methyllysine and show specificity towards the lower methylation states of lysine. This model corresponds to the first MBT repeat that does not contain a semi-aromatic cage and may not bind methylated lysine residues.