KH domain

The K Homology (KH) domain is a protein domain that was first identified in the human heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) K. An evolutionarily conserved sequence of around 70 amino acids, the KH domain is present in a wide variety of nucleic acid-binding proteins. The KH domain binds RNA, and can function in RNA recognition. It is found in multiple copies in several proteins, where they can function cooperatively or independently. For example, in the AU-rich element RNA-binding protein KSRP, which has 4 KH domains, KH domains 3 and 4 behave as independent binding modules to interact with different regions of the AU-rich RNA targets. The solution structure of the first KH domain of FMR1 and of the C-terminal KH domain of hnRNP K determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed a beta-alpha-alpha-beta-beta-alpha structure. Autoantibodies to NOVA1, a KH domain protein, cause paraneoplastic opsoclonus ataxia. The KH domain is found at the N-terminus of the ribosomal protein S3. This domain is unusual in that it has a different fold compared to the normal KH domain.