TNF receptor associated factors also known as TRAFs are a family of protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

s primarily involved in the regulation of inflammation

Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...

, antiviral

Antiviral drug

Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections. Like antibiotics for bacteria, specific antivirals are used for specific viruses...

 responses and apoptosis

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...

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Currently, six TRAF proteins have been characterized in mammals: TRAF1

TRAF1

TNF receptor-associated factor 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF1 gene.-Interactions:TRAF1 has been shown to interact with CD30, CFLAR, Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 3, BIRC2, Caspase 8, HIVEP3, TNFAIP3, TRAF2, RANK and TRAF interacting protein.-Further reading:...

, TRAF2

TRAF2

TNF receptor-associated factor 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF2 gene.-Interactions:TRAF2 has been shown to interact with BCL10, CD30, CFLAR, IKK2, MAP3K7IP2, CD137, Caveolin 1, CD27, TNFRSF13B, TANK-binding kinase 1, TRAF1, CD40, UBE2N, MAP3K14, MAP4K2, CASP8AP2, HIVEP3,...

, TRAF3

TRAF3

TNF receptor-associated factor 3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF3 gene.-Interactions:TRAF3 has been shown to interact with CD30, CD27, Lymphotoxin beta receptor, Nucleoporin 62, CD40, TNFSF14, RANK, Caspase 3 and TANK....

, TRAF4

TRAF4

TNF receptor-associated factor 4 also known as RING finger protein 83 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF4 gene.TRAF4 is a member of the TNF receptor associated factor family, a family of scaffold proteins...

, TRAF5

TRAF5

TNF receptor-associated factor 5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF5 gene.-Interactions:TRAF5 has been shown to interact with ASK1, TNFRSF13B, CD134, CD30, CD40, RANK and TNFRSF14.-Further reading:...

, TRAF6

TRAF6

TRAF6 is a TRAF human protein.-Interactions:TRAF6 has been shown to interact with SDCBP, IRAK2, IRAK1, MAP3K7IP2, MAP3K7IP1, TNFRSF13B, FHL2, CD40, IKBKG, RANK, HSPB2, UBE2N, SIGIRR, TAX1BP1, ASK1, PPP4C, TNFAIP3, Sequestosome 1, MAP3K7 and Ubiquitin C....

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These proteins share a relatively conserved secondary structure

Secondary structure

In biochemistry and structural biology, secondary structure is the general three-dimensional form of local segments of biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids...

, including a namesake C-terminal TRAF domain that mediates interactions with other signaling components such as the transmembrane TNF receptors and CD40.