A Systematic and Thorough Search for Domains of the Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich Group-B Family in the Human Genome

Abstract

The biological function of proteins is largely determined by their individual component domains, which are segments within the protein sequence that are self-contained and spatially arranged. These can be catalytic or structural, and define a number of different features of proteins such as their enzymatic activity, interactions with other proteins, sugars or lipids, and determine the cellular localization of the proteins that contain them. A number of intracellular three-dimensionally-arranged domains, such as Src-homology (SH) or Pleckstrin-homology (PH) domains, define the nature of protein interactions with other components of the cell, and enable them to interact with their substrates or binding partners. The specificity of interactions that is given by the domain is unique to its protein. Similarly, the extracellular part of most membrane-bound or secreted proteins of eukaryotic cells is also organized in semi-autonomously-arranged blocks that potentially confer multiple diverse functions to a particular protein. These domains have been classified and grouped into protein superfamilies depending on the similarity they have with domains of prototypical proteins, for example immunoglobulin, fibronectin or C-type lectin domains. Members of these groups are believed to be homologous and to have arisen by divergent evolution from a common ancestor. Many membrane-bound or extracellular proteins are comprised of several domains of the same type, but it is not uncommon to find mosaic proteins containing domains from different superfamilies. The scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) superfamily comprises a group of proteins that contain one or multiple domains structurally similar to the membrane distal domain of the type I scavenger receptor expressed by human macrophages (Freeman et al., 1990). Proteins classified as belonging to this superfamily may contain other types of domains additionally to the dominant SRCR modules, such as EGF, CUB, LCCL, or other domains. In mammals, SRCR proteins are typically expressed in cells of the immune system (Resnick et al., 1994), although some members can be also expressed in non-immune cells and organs, including liver, kidney, placenta, stomach, brain and heart (Sarrias et al., 2004). Group A domaincontaining SRCR proteins are present in phyla from the most primitive metazoan to