The WD repeat: a common architecture for diverse functions
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Updated: Oct 22, 2026

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack
Published on: August 15, 2018
T F Smith1, C Gaitatzes, K Saxena
1Boston University, Biomolecular Engineering Research Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. tsmith@darwin.bu.edu
Abstract:
Our knowledge of the large family of proteins that contain the WD repeat continues to accumulate. The WD-repeat proteins are found in all eukaryotes and are implicated in a wide variety of crucial functions. The solution of the three-dimensional structure of one WD-repeat protein and the assumption that the structure will be common to all members of this family has allowed subfamilies of WD-repeat proteins to be defined on the basis of probable surface similarity. Proteins that have very similar surfaces are likely to have common binding partners and similar functions.
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