Phylogenetic approach to identification of short linear motifs (SLiMs) in the Kekkon protein family

O'Reilly, Caitlin

Student Work

Phylogenetic approach to identification of short linear motifs (SLiMs) in the Kekkon protein family Public

The Kek family of proteins are a group of six transmembrane proteins characterized by an extracellular domain with seven leucine rich repeats and one immunoglobulin domain. The intracellular domain has no known functional motifs and is poorly conserved across species. A short intracellular motif (SLiM) is a short, linear group of amino acids that mediate protein interactions, and due to the short length and high specificity tend to be well conserved. Identification of highly conserved residues across a taxonomic range could lead to the discovery of SLiMs, broadening understanding of protein function and mechanisms. This project identified Kek1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 orthologs in sixteen arthropods, and from this group of orthologs putative SLiMs with unknown functions were identified.

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