The tify family previously known as ZIM

Abstract

The ZIM domain was originally identified in the ZIM protein (BAA97679; Zinc-finger protein expressed in Inflorescence Meristem). Since then it has been found in other proteins and the corresponding genes have been grouped into a plant-specific family. However, the family lacks consistency in its classification among different databases. Here, we try to clarify this incongruity by presenting an overview of the Arabidopsis proteins having this domain. The presented genome-wide survey can be seen as a start point to reveal the unknown function of these proteins. Furthermore, because of the confusing ZIM nomenclature being used at present, we propose to rename the domain and family as tify, after the most conserved amino acid motif characterizing the members of this family.