This domain is found in proteins of the MutS family (DNA mismatch repair proteins) and is found associated with Pfam:PF00488, Pfam:PF05188, Pfam:PF05192 and Pfam:PF05190. The MutS family of proteins is named after the Salmonella typhimurium MutS protein involved in mismatch repair; other members of the family included the eukaryotic MSH 1,2,3, 4,5 and 6 proteins. These have various roles in DNA repair and recombination. Human MSH has been implicated in non-polyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC) and is a mismatch binding protein [2]. The aligned region corresponds with globular domain I, which is involved in DNA binding, in Thermus aquaticus MutS as characterised in [4].

1: Domain organization and functional analysis of Thermus thermophilus MutS protein [published erratum appears in Nucleic Acids Res 1998 Oct 15;26(20):following 4789] Tachiki H, Kato R, Masui R, Hasegawa K, Itakura H, Fukuyama K, Kuramitsu S; Nucleic Acids Res 1998;26:4153-4159. PMID:9722634

2: Colon cancer and DNA repair: have mismatches met their match? Jiricny J; Trends Genet 1994;10:164-168. PMID:8036718

3: The yeast gene MSH3 defines a new class of eukaryotic MutS homologues. New L, Liu K, Crouse GF; Mol Gen Genet 1993;239:97-108. PMID:8510668

4: Crystal structures of mismatch repair protein MutS and its complex with a substrate DNA. Obmolova G, Ban C, Hsieh P, Yang W; Nature 2000;407:703-710. PMID:11048710