FYVE-finger proteins - effecters of an inositol lipid

The binding of cytosolic proteins to specific intracellular membranes conta ining phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) is a comm on theme in vital cellular processes, such as cytoskeletal function, recept or signalling and membrane trafficking, Recently, several potential effecte rs of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase product PtdIns 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P) have emerged through the observation that a conserved zinc-finger-like dom ain, the FYVE-finger, binds specifically to this lipid. Here we review curr ent knowledge about the structural basis for the FYVE-PtdIns(3)P interactio n, its role in membrane recruitment of proteins and the functions of FYVE-f inger proteins in membrane trafficking and other cellular processes.