InterPro domain: IPR035999

Protein containing this domain are highly divergent in their overall sequence, however, they share a common region of roughly 200 amino acids known as the SEC7 domain. The 3D structure of the domain displays several alpha-helices [ 1 ]. It was found to be associated with other domains involved in guanine nucleotide exchange (e.g., CDC25, Dbl) in mammalian guanine-nucleotide-exchange factors [ 2 ].

SEC7 domain containing proteins are guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) specific for the ADP-rybosylation factors (ARF), a Ras-like GTPases which is important for vesicular protein trafficking. These proteins can be divided into five families, based on domain organisation and conservation of primary amino acid sequence: GBF/BIG, cytohesins,eFA6, BRAGs, and F-box [ 3 ]. They are found in all eukaryotes, and are involved in membrane remodeling processes throughout the cell [ 4 ].

1. Solution structure of the cytohesin-1 (B2-1) Sec7 domain and its interaction with the GTPase ADP ribosylation factor 1. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95, 7909-14
2. Triple association of CDC25-, Dbl- and Sec7-related domains in mammalian guanine-nucleotide-exchange factors. Trends Biochem. Sci. 23, 472-3
3. Regulating the large Sec7 ARF guanine nucleotide exchange factors: the when, where and how of activation. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 71, 3419-38
4. Large Arf1 guanine nucleotide exchange factors: evolution, domain structure, and roles in membrane trafficking and human disease. Mol. Genet. Genomics 282, 329-50