The function of PTB domain proteins

Phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains have been identified in a large number of proteins. In proteins like Shc and IRS-1, the PTB domain binds in a phosphotyrosine-dependent fashion to peptides that form a beta turn. In these proteins, PTB domains play an important role in signal transduction by growth factor receptors. However, in several other proteins, the PTB domains have been found to participate in phosphotyrosine-independent interactions. The X11 family of proteins contains a PTB domain that binds peptides in a phosphotyrosine-independent fashion. The homologue of X11 in C. elegans is the lin-10 gene, a gene crucial for receptor targeting to the basolateral surface of body wall epithelia. The X11/Lin-10 proteins are found in a complex with two other proteins, Lin-2 and Lin-7, which have also been implicated in basolateral targeting in worm epithelia. This protein complex is also likely to be important in the targeting of cell surface proteins in mammalian neurons and epithelia. The ability of the PTB domain to bind peptides in a phosphotyrosine-dependent and -independent fashion allows this domain to be involved in diverse cellular functions.