About RNF / Ring Finger Protein:
RING finger proteins are a specific type of protein found in molecular biology. RING stands for Really Interesting New Gene and many proteins containing a RING finger will have a key role in processes throughout the body.
RNF Structure
A RING ringer protein is a protein that has a structural domain of zinc finger, giving it a C3HC4 amino acid motif. This binds against zinc cations - seven cysteines and one histidine, which are arranged non-consecutively.
The RING finger domain also has a consensus sequence of the following:
C-X2-C-X[9-39]-C-X[1-3]-H-X[2-3]-C-X2-C-X[4-48]-C-X2-C
The C stands for a conserved cysteine involved zinc coordination, the H is a conserved histidine involved in zinc coordination as well, with the Zn as a zinc atom and the X as any amino acid residue.
Ring Finger Protein Functions & Interactions
These proteins mainly function as ligases as they bind ubiquitination enzymes and their substances together. As a result, ubiquitination will tackle the substrate protein for degradation.
Ligases are enzymes that can help catalyze different reactions when two large molecules are joined. They do this by establishing a new chemical bond. This is what RING finger proteins tend to do throughout the body.
Ubiquitination is the addition of ubiquitin molecules to lysine residues of a protein. When this happens, proteins are exposed to the 26S proteasome for degradation. The purpose of this mechanism is to turn over the protein as rapidly as possible. The ubiquitination system within the body contains many proteins, including the various RING finger proteins found at various points in the internal system.