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NAL Agricultural Thesaurus
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Concept Breadcrumbs

Fields of Study > genetics > molecular genetics > DNA-binding domains > zinc finger motif
Fields of Study > chemistry > physical chemistry > chemical structure > protein structure > protein conformation > protein structural elements > amino acid motifs > DNA-binding domains > zinc finger motif
Preferred Term:

zinc finger motif

Definition:
Motifs in DNA- and RNA-binding proteins whose amino acids are folded into a single structural unit around a zinc atom. In the classic zinc finger, one zinc atom is bound to two cysteines and two histidines. In between the cysteines and histidines are 12 residues which form a DNA binding fingertip. By variations in the composition of the sequences in the fingertip and the number and spacing of tandem repeats of the motif, zinc fingers can form a large number of different sequence specific binding sites.
Concept Schemes:
NALT Full
NALT Core
Broader Concept:
DNA-binding domains
Narrower Concepts:
Related Concepts:
Entry Terms:
  • zinc fingers
  • zinc finger DNA-binding domain
  • zinc finger domains
URI:
https://lod.nal.usda.gov/nalt/34248
Download this Concept:
RDF/XMLCreated 2006-01-19, last modified 2019-08-26
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