EVH1 Domain

Domain Binding and Function

The EVH1 domain is a protein module of ~110 amino acids found in a number of scaffolding proteins that mediate the assembly of multiprotein complexes involved in control of the actin cytoskeleton. This domain was originally identified at the N-terminus of the Drosophila protein Enabled (Ena), its mammalian counterpart (Mena) and the closely related protein Vasp (hence the term Ena/Vasp Homology domain 1). EVH1 domains are also found in an additional member of the Mena family, Evl, in the WASP docking protein that is affected by mutations that cause the immunodeficiency Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and in the Homer family of synaptic proteins that interact with group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors. EVH1 domains recognize related proline-rich motifs, such as E/DFPPPPXD/E in the case of Mena. These motifs are commonly found in components of the cytoskeleton, such as Vinculin and Zyxin, as well as in the ActA protein of the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which regulates bacterial motility by controling actin polymerization in the infected cell.

Structure Reference

1. Federov, A.A. et al. (1999) Nat. Struct. Biol. 6(7), 661–665.

Examples of Domain Proteins

Binding Examples

EVH1 Domain Proteins	Binding Partners
Mena (Mammalian Ena)	Zyxin, Vinculin cellular cytokeletal proteins ActA (L. Monocytogenes)
Homer synaptic docking protein	Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor Shank synaptic scaffolding protein