THE DODO GENE FAMILY ENCODES A NOVEL PROTEIN INVOLVED IN SIGNAL-TRANSDUCTION AND PROTEIN-FOLDING

Recent studies in yeast, Drosophila and humans have revealed the exist ence of a highly conserved gene encoding a novel protein, Dodo, compri sed of four modules: a WW domain, involved in protein-protein interact ions, a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) domain belonging to a recently described third family of PPIases involved in protein fo lding and unfolding, a nuclear localization motif and finally, a long, surface-exposed a-helix that is likely to be involved in binding to a cell cycle serine/threonine kinase. The genetic, molecular, biochemic al and structural data are reviewed in the context of the potential bi ological properties of this new protein family. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce B.V.