This domain is found in mouse von Willebrand factor D and EGF domain-containing protein (Vwde) and similar animal sequences. Vwde may play a role in initial ameloblast differentiation and is involved in the maturation of enamel mineralisation []. This domain is predicted to have an all-�� helical configuration and is often found associated with .
This predicted immunoglobulin (Ig) domain is found in VWDE and similar sequences. This domain is often found associated with and .von Willebrand factor D and EGF domain-containing protein (WWDE) is predicted to enable signalling receptor binding activity and to be active in the cell surface and extracellular region.
This entry represents the D8C domain (cysteine-rich domain) found in UMOD, GP2, OIT3, VWDE and similar proteins mainly found in vertebrates.Uromodulin (UMOD), glycoprotein 2 (GP2) and oncoprotein-induced transcript 3 (OIT3) constitute a phylogenetically related protein family characterised by the presence of conserved zona pellucida (ZP) and D8C domains. These paralogue proteins exhibit organ-specific expression patterns and analogous biological functions. UMOD, predominantly expressed in the renal tubules, facilitates the formation of urinary casts and mediates host defence by binding to type 1 fimbriated bacteria. UMOD functions in biogenesis and organisation of the apical membrane of epithelial cells of the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop and may serve as a receptor for binding and endocytosis of cytokines (IL-1, IL-2) and TNF []. GP2, secreted from pancreatic acinar cells, functions similarly in the gastrointestinal tract, where it binds bacterial fimbriae and contributes to mucosal immunity and pancreatic plug formation in pathological states. OIT3, primarily expressed in hepatic tissue, shares structural homology with both UMOD and GP2, suggesting a comparable protective role in liver physiology. These proteins likely evolved from a common ancestral gene through duplication events, subsequently acquiring tissue-specific functions whilst maintaining their core protective mechanisms against microbial pathogens across different organ systems [, , ].
