Research article

ACRATA: a novel electron transfer domain associated to apoptosis and cancer

Luis Sanchez-Pulido¹ , Ana M Rojas¹ , Alfonso Valencia¹ , Carlos Martinez-A² and Miguel A Andrade^3,4

¹Protein Design Group, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Cantoblanco, Madrid, E-28049, Spain

²Departamento de Inmunologia y Oncologia DIO, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Cantoblanco, Madrid, E-28049, Spain

³Ontario Genomics Innovation Centre, Ottawa Health Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Box 411, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada

⁴Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

author email corresponding author email

BMC Cancer 2004, 4:98doi:10.1186/1471-2407-4-98

Published:	29 December 2004

Abstract

Background

Recently, several members of a vertebrate protein family containing a six trans-membrane (6TM) domain and involved in apoptosis and cancer (e.g. STEAP, STAMP1, TSAP6), have been identified in Golgi and cytoplasmic membranes. The exact function of these proteins remains unknown.

Methods

We related this 6TM domain to distant protein families using intermediate sequences and methods of iterative profile sequence similarity search.

Results

Here we show for the first time that this 6TM domain is homolog to the 6TM heme binding domain of both the NADPH oxidase (Nox) family and the YedZ family of bacterial oxidoreductases.

Conclusions

This finding gives novel insights about the existence of a previously undetected electron transfer system involved in apoptosis and cancer, and suggests further steps in the experimental characterization of these evolutionarily related families.