Members of this entry are short proteins that are rich in aspartate, glutamate, lysine and arginine that are found to be ubiquitously expressed [1]. This entry represents the N-terminal region of small EDRK-rich factors (SERFs), including SERF1 (UniProt:O75920), SERF2 from human, and similar proteins. This region appears to be found at the N-terminus of some longer proteins. Many proteins contain a C-terminal zinc finger domain Pfam:PF12907. SERF1/2 are positive regulators of amyloid protein aggregation and proteotoxicity; they induce conformational changes in amyloid proteins, driving them into compact formations preceding the formation of aggregates [2-4].

1: Identification of a candidate modifying gene for spinal muscular atrophy by comparative genomics. Scharf JM, Endrizzi MG, Wetter A, Huang S, Thompson TG, Zerres K, Dietrich WF, Wirth B, Kunkel LM; Nat Genet 1998;20:83-86. PMID:9731538

2: SERF protein is a direct modifier of amyloid fiber assembly. Falsone SF, Meyer NH, Schrank E, Leitinger G, Pham CL, Fodero-Tavoletti MT, Holmberg M, Dulle M, Scicluna B, Gesslbauer B, Ruckert HM, Wagner GE, Merle DA, Nollen EA, Kungl AJ, Hill AF, Cappai R, Zangger K; Cell Rep. 2012;2:358-371. PMID:22854022

3: Increased Aggregation Tendency of Alpha-Synuclein in a Fully Disordered Protein Complex. Merle DA, Witternigg A, Tam-Amersdorfer C, Hartlmuller C, Spreitzer E, Schrank E, Wagner-Lichtenegger S, Werzer O, Zangger K, Kungl AJ, Madl T, Meyer NH, Falsone SF; J Mol Biol. 2019;431:2581-2598. PMID:31034892

4: Identification of MOAG-4/SERF as a regulator of age-related proteotoxicity. van Ham TJ, Holmberg MA, van der Goot AT, Teuling E, Garcia-Arencibia M, Kim HE, Du D, Thijssen KL, Wiersma M, Burggraaff R, van Bergeijk P, van Rheenen J, Jerre van Veluw G, Hofstra RM, Rubinsztein DC, Nollen EA; Cell. 2010;142:601-612. PMID:20723760