InterPro domain: IPR010473

Diaphanous-related formins (Drfs) are a family of formin homology (FH) proteins that act as effectors of Rho small GTPases during growth factor-induced cytoskeletal remodelling, stress fibre formation, and cell division [ 1 ]. Drf proteins are characterised by a variety of shared domains: an N-terminal GTPase-binding domain (GBD), formin-homology domains FH1, FH2 ( IPR015425 ) and FH3 ( IPR010472 ), and a C-terminal conserved Dia-autoregulatory domain (DAD) that binds the GBD.

This entry represents the GBD, which is a bifunctional autoinhibitory domain that interacts with and is regulated by activated Rho family members. Mammalian Drf3 contains a CRIB-like motif within its GBD for binding to Cdc42, which is required for Cdc42 to activate and guide Drf3 towards the cell cortex where it remodels the actin skeleton [ 2 ].

1. Formin family proteins in cytoskeletal control. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 267, 479-81
2. Disruption of the Diaphanous-related formin Drf1 gene encoding mDia1 reveals a role for Drf3 as an effector for Cdc42. Curr. Biol. 13, 534-45