Helix-turn-helix domain of Hin and related proteins
This domain model summarizes a family of DNA-binding domains unique to bacteria and represented by the Hin protein of Salmonella. The basic HTH domain is a simple fold comprised of three core helices that form a right-handed helical bundle. The principal DNA-protein interface is formed by the third helix, the recognition helix, inserting itself into the major groove of the DNA. A diverse array of HTH domains participate in a variety of functions that depend on their DNA-binding properties. HTH_Hin represents one of the simplest versions of the HTH domains; the characterization of homologous relationships between various sequence-diverse HTH domain families remains difficult. The Hin recombinase induces the site-specific inversion of a chromosomal DNA segment containing a promoter, which controls the alternate expression of two genes by reversibly switching orientation. The Hin recombinase consists of a single polypeptide chain containing a C-terminal DNA-binding domain (HTH_Hin) and a catalytic domain.