The death fold is a tertiary structure motif commonly found in proteins involved in apoptosis or inflammation-related processes. This motif is commonly found in domains that participate in protein-protein interactions leading to the formation of large functional complexes. Examples of death fold domains include the death domain (DD), death effector domain (DED), Caspase Recruitment Domain (CARD), and pyrin domain (PYD).
Death fold domains are an evolutionarily conserved superfamily of domains that mediate apoptotic signaling. The two types of apoptosis, extrinsic and intrinsic, are tightly regulated by the interplay of activating and inhibitory pathways. The interactions between the four different death fold motifs are a unifying mechanism in both types of apoptosis.
Read more about Death Fold: Structure, Four Death-Fold Domains, Binding and Interactions
Famous quotes containing the words death and/or fold:
“In the attempt to defeat death man has been inevitably obliged to defeat life, for the two are inextricably related. Life moves on to death, and to deny one is to deny the other.”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)
“And they both went a walking to Blackberry Fold.”
—Unknown. Squire and Milkmaid; or, Blackberry Fold (l. 20)