Domain of unknown function

A domain of unknown function (DUF) is a protein domain that has no characterised function. These families have been collected together in the Pfam database using the prefix DUF followed by a number, with examples being DUF2992 and DUF1220. As of 2019, there are almost 4,000 DUF families within the Pfam database representing over 22% of known families. Some DUFs are not named using the nomenclature due to popular usage but are nevertheless DUFs.[1]

The DUF designation is tentative, and such families tend to be renamed to a more specific name (or merged to an existing domain) after a function is identified.[2][3]

  1. ^ El-Gebali S, Mistry J, Bateman A, Eddy SR, Luciani A, Potter SC, Qureshi M, Richardson LJ, Salazar GA, Smart A, Sonnhammer EL, Hirsh L, Paladin L, Piovesan D, Tosatto SC, Finn RD (January 2019). "The Pfam protein families database in 2019". Nucleic Acids Research. 47 (D1): D427–D432. doi:10.1093/nar/gky995. PMC 6324024. PMID 30357350.
  2. ^ Bateman A, Coggill P, Finn RD (October 2010). "DUFs: families in search of function". Acta Crystallographica. Section F, Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications. 66 (Pt 10): 1148–52. doi:10.1107/S1744309110001685. PMC 2954198. PMID 20944204.
  3. ^ Punta M, Coggill PC, Eberhardt RY, Mistry J, Tate J, Boursnell C, Pang N, Forslund K, Ceric G, Clements J, Heger A, Holm L, Sonnhammer EL, Eddy SR, Bateman A, Finn RD (January 2012). "The Pfam protein families database". Nucleic Acids Research. 40 (Database issue): D290-301. doi:10.1093/nar/gkr1065. PMC 3245129. PMID 22127870.