ITK (also known as Tsk or Emt) is a member of the Tec family, which is a group of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases containing Src homology protein interaction domains (SH3, SH2) N-terminal to the catalytic tyr kinase domain. It also contains an N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, which binds the products of PI3K and allows membrane recruitment and activation [], and the Tec homology (TH) domain, which contains proline-rich and zinc-binding regions. ITK is expressed in T-cells and mast cells, and is important in their development and differentiation [, ]. Of the three Tec kinases expressed in T-cells, ITK plays the predominant role in T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. It is activated by phosphorylation upon TCR crosslinking and is involved in the pathway resulting in phospholipase C-gamma1 activation and actin polymerization []. It also plays a role in the downstream signaling of the T-cell costimulatory receptor CD28 [], the T-cell surface receptor CD2 [], and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 []. In addition, ITK is crucial for the development of T-helper(Th)2 effector responses []. This entry represents the SH3 domain of ITK.
PTKs catalyse the transfer of the gamma-phosphoryl group from ATP to tyrosine (tyr) residues in protein substrates. Itk, also known as Tsk or Emt, is a member of the Tec-like subfamily of proteins, which are cytoplasmic (or nonreceptor) PTKs with similarity to Src kinases in that they contain Src homology protein interaction domains (SH3, SH2) N-terminal to the catalytic tyr kinase domain. Unlike Src kinases, most Tec subfamily members except Rlk also contain an N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, which binds the products of PI3K and allows membrane recruitment and activation. In addition, Itk contains the Tec homology (TH) domain containing one proline-rich region and a zinc-binding region [, ].Itk is expressed in T-cells and mast cells, and is important in their development and differentiation []. Of the three Tec kinases expressed in T-cells, Itk plays the predominant role in T-cell receptor (TCR) signalling. It is activated by phosphorylation upon TCR crosslinking and is involved in the pathway resulting in phospholipase C-gamma1 activation and actin polymerization []. It also plays a role in the downstream signalling of the T-cell costimulatory receptor CD28, the T-cell surface receptor CD2, and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 [, ]. In addition, Itk is crucial for the development of T-helper(Th)2 effector responses [].
The Btk-type zinc finger or Btk motif (BM) is a conserved zinc-binding motif containing conserved cysteines and a histidine that is present in certain eukaryotic signalling proteins. The motif is named after Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk), an enzyme which is essential for B cell maturation in humans and mice [, ]. Btk is a member of the Tec family of protein tyrosine kinases (PTK). These kinases contain a conserved Tec homology (TH) domain between the N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain () and the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain (). The N-terminal of the TH domain is highly conserved and known as the Btf motif, while the C-terminal region of the TH domain contains a proline-rich region (PRR). The Btk motif contains a conserved His and three Cys residues that form a zinc finger (although these differ from known zinc finger topologies), while PRRs are commonly involved in protein-protein interactions, including interactions with G proteins [, ]. The TH domain may be of functional importance in various signalling pathways in different species []. A complete TH domain, containing both the Btk and PRR regions, has not been found outside the Tec family; however, the Btk motif on its own does occur in other proteins, usually C-terminal to a PH domain (note that although a Btk motif always occurs C-terminal to a PH domain, not all PH domains are followed by a Btk motif).The crystal structures of Btk show that the Btk-type zinc finger has a globular core, formed by a long loop which is held together by a zinc ion, and that the Btk motif is packed against the PH domain []. The zinc-binding residues are a histidine and three cysteines, which are fully conserved in the Btk motif []. Proteins known to contain a Btk-type zinc finger include:Mammalian Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk), a protein tyrosine kinase involved in modulation of diverse cellular processes. Mutations affecting Btk are the cause of X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) in humans and X-linked immunodeficiency in mice. Mammalian Tec, Bmx, and Itk proteins, which are tyrosine protein kinases of the Tec subfamily. Drosophila tyrosine-protein kinase Btk29A, which is required for the development of proper ring canals and of male genitalia and required for adult survival. Mammalian Ras GTPase-activating proteins (RasGAP), which regulate the activation of inactive GDP-bound Ras by converting GDP to GTP.
