InterPro: IPR001711 Phospholipase C, phosphatidylinositol-specific, Y domain

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (EC:3.1.4.11), an eukaryotic intracellular enzyme, plays an important role in signal transduction processes [1] (see IPR001192). It catalyzes the hydrolysis of 1-phosphatidyl-D-myo-inositol-3,4,5-triphosphate into the second messenger molecules diacylglycerol and inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate. This catalytic process is tightly regulated by reversible phosphorylation and binding of regulatory proteins [2, 3, 4].

In mammals, there are at least 6 different isoforms of PI-PLC, they differ in their domain structure, their regulation, and their tissue distribution. Lower eukaryotes also possess multiple isoforms of PI-PLC.

All eukaryotic PI-PLCs contain two regions of homology, sometimes referred to as 'X-box' (see IPR000909) and 'Y-box'. The order of these two regions is always the same (NH2-X-Y-COOH), but the spacing is variable. In most isoforms, the distance between these two regions is only 50-100 residues but in the gamma isoforms one PH domain, two SH2 domains, and one SH3 domain are inserted between the two PLC-specific domains. The two conserved regions have been shown to be important for the catalytic activity. At the C-terminal of the Y-box, there is a C2 domain (see IPR000008) possibly involved in Ca-dependent membrane attachment.