| Link domain | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure of the hyaluronan-binding domain of human CD44 | |||||||||
| Identifiers | |||||||||
| Symbol | LINK | ||||||||
| Pfam | PF00193 | ||||||||
| Pfam clan | CL0056 | ||||||||
| InterPro | IPR000538 | ||||||||
| SMART | SM00445 | ||||||||
| PROSITE | PDOC00955 | ||||||||
| SCOP2 | 1o7b / SCOPe / SUPFAM | ||||||||
| CDD | cd01102 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
A Link domain or Link module, also known as Xlink domain (X for extracellular), is a protein domain that binds to hyaluronic acid. [1] It is important in blood cell migration and apoptosis. [2] The link domain is found in some extracellular proteins in vertebrates such as the hyalectans. [3] It appears to be involved in extracellular matrix assembly and stability, cell adhesion, and migration. [3] [4]
The structure has been shown to consist of two alpha helices and two antiparallel beta sheets arranged around a large hydrophobic core similar to that of C-type lectin. [5] This domain contains four conserved cysteines involved in two disulphide bonds. The link domain has also been termed HABM (hyaluronic acid binding module) [4] and PTR (proteoglycan tandem repeat). [6]
Proteins which contain the link domain include: