Short Linear Motifs (SLiMs) are the smallest structural and functional components
of modular eukaryotic proteins. They are also the most abundant, especially when considering
post-translational modifications. As well as being found throughout the cell as part
of regulatory processes, SLiMs are extensively mimicked by intracellular pathogens.
At the heart of the Eukaryotic Linear Motif (ELM) Resource is a representative (not
comprehensive) database. The ELM entries are created by a growing community of skilled
annotators and provide an introduction to linear motif functionality for biomedical
researchers. The 2024 ELM update includes 346 novel motif instances in areas ranging
from innate immunity to both protein and RNA degradation systems. In total, 39 classes
of newly annotated motifs have been added, and another 17 existing entries have been
updated in the database. The 2024 ELM release now includes 356 motif classes incorporating
4283 individual motif instances manually curated from 4274 scientific publications
and including >700 links to experimentally determined 3D structures. In a recent development,
the InterPro protein module resource now also includes ELM data. ELM is available
at: http://elm.eu.org.
