Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 3, 2026

Identification of Nucleolar Factors During HIV-1 Replication Through Rev Immunoprecipitation and Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 26, 2019
The LIM motif defines a specific zinc-binding protein domain
J W Michelsen1, K L Schmeichel, M C Beckerle
1Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84132.
Abstract:
The cysteine-rich protein (CRP) contains two copies of the LIM sequence motif, CX2CX17HX2CX2CX2CX17-CX2C, that was first identified in the homeodomain proteins Lin-11, Is1-1, and Mec-3. The abundance and spacing of the cysteine residues in the LIM motif are reminiscent of a metal-binding domain. We examined the metal-binding properties of CRP isolated from chicken smooth muscle (cCRP) and from a bacterial expression system and observed that cCRP is a specific Zn-binding metalloprotein. Four Zn(II) ions are maximally bound to cCRP, consistent with the idea that each LIM domain coordinates two metal ions. From spectroscopic studies of Co(II)- and 113Cd(II)-substituted cCRP, we determined that each metal ion is tetrahedrally coordinated with cysteinyl sulfurs dominating the ligand types. One metal site within each LIM motif has tetrathiolate (S4) coordination, the second site may either be S4 or S3N1. The LIM motif represents another example of a specific Zn-binding protein sequence.
More Related Videos
11:23Characterization at the Molecular Level using Robust Biochemical Approaches of a New Kinase Protein
Published on: June 30, 2019
06:50Computational Prediction of Amino Acid Preferences of Potentially Multispecific Peptide-Binding Domains Involved in Protein-Protein Interactions
Published on: January 26, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to form...
Ligand Binding Sites
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Conserved Binding Sites
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...
Cytoskeletal Linker Proteins - Plakins
Ligand Binding Sites
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.