Introduction
Purine-rich element binding protein alpha (Purα or PurA) is a transcription factor with a molecular weight of ~35 kDa encoded by the PURA gene. It is known to recognize and bind sequence-specific purine-rich regions of ssDNA and ssRNA. Purα is a member of the PUR family of proteins, including cousins Purβ and two isoforms of Purγ. In its functional dimeric form Purα is known to repress expression of smooth muscle alpha actin (SMαA) and ____. It plays a crucial role in nervous system development, and additionally is known to be involved in cell cycle regulation. Mutations in Purα have been implicated in two neurological diseases: PURA syndrome and Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) (see Disease section).
Structure
facilitates dimerization of Purα monomers. The association of two repeat III domains forms what is termed the "intermolecular domain".
A PUR domain is analogous to a left-handed handshake. PUR repeat I-II represented from 5fgp.
Function
functions as a homodimer or heterodimer with PurB (and PurG?), PurA is known to repress various genes including
, Y57 (repeat I) and F145 (repeat II) have been implicated in the DNA unwinding activity of PurA.[1]
Disease
Relevance
Structural highlights
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