Second Ig-like domain of the giant muscle protein titin Z1z2 in the sarcomeric Z-disk, and similar domains; a member of the I-set of IgSF domains
The members here are composed of the second immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domain of the giant muscle protein titin Z1z2 in the sarcomeric Z-disk and similar proteins. Titin is a key component in the assembly and functioning of vertebrate striated muscles. By providing connections at the level of individual microfilaments, it contributes to the fine balance of forces between the two halves of the sarcomere. The Ig superfamily (IgSF) is a heterogenous group of proteins, built on a common fold comprised of a sandwich of two beta sheets. IgSF domains can be divided into 4 main classes based on their structures and sequences: the Variable (V), Constant 1 (C1), Constant 2 (C2), and Intermediate (I) sets. Unlike the V-set, one of the distinctive features of I-set domains is the lack of a C" strand. The structure of the titin Z1z2 lacks this strand and thus it belongs to the I-set of the IgSF. I-set domains are found in several cell adhesion molecules (such as VCAM, ICAM, and MADCAM), and are also present in numerous other diverse protein families, including several tyrosine-protein kinase receptors, the hemolymph protein hemolin, the muscle proteins titin, telokin, and twitchin, the neuronal adhesion molecule axonin-1, and the signaling molecule semaphorin 4D that is involved in axonal guidance, immune function and angiogenesis.