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C-terminal Mad Homology 2 (MH2) domain in SMAD4 The MH2 domain is located at the C-terminus of the SMAD (small mothers against decapentaplegic) family of proteins, which are signal transducers and transcriptional modulators that mediate multiple signaling pathways. The MH2 domain is responsible for type I receptor interaction, phosphorylation-triggered homo- and hetero-oligomerization, and transactivation. It is negatively regulated by the N-terminal MH1 domain. SMAD4, which belongs to the Dwarfin family of proteins, is involved in many cell functions such as differentiation, apoptosis, gastrulation, embryonic development and the cell cycle. SMAD4 binds receptor regulated SMADs (R-SMADs) such as SMAD1 or SMAD2, and forms an oligomeric complex that binds to DNA and serves as a transcription factor. SMAD4 is often mutated in several cancers, such as multiploid colorectal cancer, cervical cancer and pancreatic carcinoma, as well as in juvenile polyposis syndrome.
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