MicroProteins: small size - big impact

Teinai Ebimienere Eguen, Daniel Straub, Moritz Graeff, Stephan Wenkel

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

MicroProteins (miPs) are short, usually single-domain proteins that, in analogy to miRNAs, heterodimerize with their targets and exert a dominant-negative effect. Recent bioinformatic attempts to identify miPs have resulted in a list of potential miPs, many of which lack the defining characteristics of a miP. In this opinion article, we clearly state the characteristics of a miP as evidenced by known proteins that fit the definition; we explain why modulatory proteins misrepresented as miPs do not qualify as true miPs. We also discuss the evolutionary history of miPs, and how the miP concept can extend beyond transcription factors (TFs) to encompass different non-TF proteins that require dimerization for full function.

Original languageEnglish
JournalTrends in Plant Science
Volume20
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)477–482
Number of pages6
ISSN1360-1385
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2015

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