This domain contains eight conserved cysteine residues that bind to two zinc ions. The CXXC domain is found in a variety of chromatin-associated proteins. This domain binds to nonmethyl-CpG dinucleotides. The domain is characterised by two repeats [ ...
This domain contains eight conserved cysteine residues that bind to two zinc ions. The CXXC domain is found in a variety of chromatin-associated proteins. This domain binds to nonmethyl-CpG dinucleotides. The domain is characterised by two repeats [3], and shows a peculiar internal duplication in which the second unit is inserted into the first one [4]. Each of these units is characterised by four conserved cysteines, displaying a CXXCXXCX(n)C motif that chelate a Zn+2 ion. The DNA binding interface has been identified by NMR [3]. In eukaryotes, the CXXC domain is found in stramenopiles, plants and metazoans. Plants possess a mono-CXXC domain that is present in distinct chromatin proteins [4]. Structural comparisons show that the mono-CXXC is homologous to the structural-zinc binding domain of medium chain dehydrogenases [4].