Tripartite Motif Containing Protein 45 (TRIM45)

TRIM45 belongs to a family of tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins that play important roles in a variety of cellular functions, including cell proliferation, differentiation, development, oncogenesis, and apoptosis. The deduced 580-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of 64 kD. TRIM45 contains an N-terminal RING finger, followed by B-box-1 and B-box-2 domains, an alpha-helical coiled-coil region, and a C-terminal filamin-type immunoglobulin domain. Northern blot analysis of adult tissues detected a 3.6-kb transcript expressed at highest levels in skeletal muscle, followed by brain, pancreas, and heart. Northern blot analysis of human embryonic tissues showed highest expression in brain, followed by lung, skeletal muscle, heart, and intestine. TRIM45 localized to both the cytoplasm and nuclei of transfected COS-7 cells.