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:
“Not one death but many,
not accumulation but change, the feed-back proves, the feed-back is
the law”
—Charles Olson (1910–1970)
“It’s of a rich squire in Bristol doth dwell,
There are ladies of honour that love him well,
But all was in vain, in vain was said,
For he was in love with a charming milkmaid.”
—Unknown. Squire and Milkmaid; or, Blackberry Fold (l. 1–4)