BRcat domain found in RING finger protein 144A (RNF144A)
RNF144A, also called UbcM4-interacting protein 4 (UIP4) or ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 7-interacting protein 4, is a transmembrane (TM) domain-containing RBR-type E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase that targets DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), and thus promotes DNA damage-induced cell apoptosis. It is transcriptionally repressed by metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) and inhibits MTA1-driven cancer cell migration and invasion. RNF144A contains 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 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 RNF144A 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.",