BRcat domain found in cullin-9 (CUL-9) and similar proteins
CUL-9, also called UbcH7-associated protein 1 (H7-AP1), p53-associated parkin-like cytoplasmic protein, or PARC, is a cytoplasmic RBR-type E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase that functions as 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 (conserved in Cul7, PARC, and HERC2 proteins), a DOC (DOC1/APC10) domain, cullin homology 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 changed to RING1-BRcat (benign-catalytic)-Rcat (required-for-catalysis) recently. The RBR 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 functions to facilitate the ubiquitination reaction. This model corresponds to the BRcat domain of CUL-9 that adopts the same fold as the Rcat domain while lacking the catalytic cysteine residue and ubiquitination activity.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",