InterPro domain: IPR010399

The tify domain is a 36-amino acid domain only found among Embryophyta (land plants). It has been named after the most conserved amino acid pattern (TIF[F/Y]XG) it contains, but was previously known as the Zim domain. As the use of uppercase characters (TIFY) might imply that the domain is fully conserved across proteins, a lowercase lettering has been chosen in an attempt to highlight the reality of its natural variability.

Based on the domain architecture, tify domain containing proteins can be classified into two groups. Group I is formed by proteins possessing a CCT (CONSTANS, CO-like, and TOC1) domain and a GATA-type zinc finger in addition to the tify domain. Group II contains proteins characterised by the tify domain but lacking a GATA-type zinc finger. Tify domain containing proteins might be involved in developmental processes and some of them have features that are characteristic for transcription factors: a nuclear localisation and the presence of a putative DNA-binding domain [ 1 ]. Some proteins known to contain a tify domain include:

• Arabidopsis thaliana GATA transcription factors (Zinc-finger protein expressed in Inflorescence Meristem, ZIM), a putative transcription factor involved in inflorescence and flower development [ 2 , 3 ].
• A. thaliana ZIM-like proteins (ZML) [ 4 ].
• A. thaliana Protein TIFY 1-11 [ 4 ].

1. The tify family previously known as ZIM. Trends Plant Sci. 12, 239-44
2. Characterization of a novel gene encoding a putative single zinc-finger protein, ZIM, expressed during the reproductive phase in Arabidopsis thaliana. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 64, 1402-9
3. Characterization of Arabidopsis ZIM, a member of a novel plant-specific GATA factor gene family. J. Exp. Bot. 55, 631-9
4. PEAPOD regulates lamina size and curvature in Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103, 13238-43