BEN
SMART ACC:	SM001025
Description:	The BEN domain is found in diverse animal proteins such as BANP/SMAR1, NAC1 and the Drosophila mod(mdg4) isoform C, in the chordopoxvirus virosomal protein E5R and in several proteins of polydnaviruses. Computational analysis suggests that the BEN domain mediates protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions during chromatin organisation and transcription.
InterPro ACC:	IPR018379
InterPro abstract:	The BEN domain is found in diverse proteins including: SMAR1 (Scaffold/Matrix attachment region-binding protein 1; also known as BANP), a tumour-suppressor MAR-binding protein that down-regulates Cyclin D1 expression by recruiting HDAC1-mSin3A co-repressor complex at Cyclin D1 promoter locus; SMAR1 is the target of prostaglandin A2 (PGA2) induced growth arrest [ expand The BEN domain is found in diverse proteins including: SMAR1 (Scaffold/Matrix attachment region-binding protein 1; also known as BANP), a tumour-suppressor MAR-binding protein that down-regulates Cyclin D1 expression by recruiting HDAC1-mSin3A co-repressor complex at Cyclin D1 promoter locus; SMAR1 is the target of prostaglandin A2 (PGA2) induced growth arrest [ PUBMED:16166625 PUBMED:17726044 ]. NAC1, a novel member of the POZ/BTB (Pox virus and Zinc finger/Bric-a-bracTramtrack Broad complex), but which varies from other proteins of this class in that it lacks the characteristic DNA-binding motif [ PUBMED:17945361 ]. Mod(mdg4) isoform C, the modifier of the mdg4 locus in Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly), where mdg4 encodes chromatin proteins which are involved in position effect variegation, establishment of chromatin boundaries, nerve path finding, meiotic chromosome pairing and apoptosis [ PUBMED:15094203 ]. Trans-splicing of Mod(mdg4) produces at least 26 transcripts. E5R protein from Chordopoxvirus virosomes, which is found in cytoplasmic sites of viral DNA replication [ PUBMED:10854161 ]. Several proteins of polydnaviruses. BEN-containing proteins were characterised to have chromatin-related functions as an adaptor for the higher-order structuring of chromatin, and recruitment of chromatin modifying factors in transcriptional regulation. BEN domain is an intrinsic sequence-specific DNA-binding domain [ PUBMED:25561495 ]. The presence of BEN domains in a poxviral early virosomal protein and in polydnavirus proteins also suggests a possible role in the organisation of viral DNA during replication or transcription. They are generally linked to other globular domains with functions related to transcriptional regulation and chromatin structure, such as BTB, C4DM, and C2H2 fingers [ PUBMED:18203771 ]. This domain forms an all-α fold with four conserved helices. Its conservation pattern reveals several conserved residues, most of which have hydrophobic side-chains and are likely to stabilise the fold through helix-helix packing [ PUBMED:18203771 PUBMED:25561495 ]. collapse
GO function:	DNA binding (GO:0003677)
Family alignment:	View the Family alignment or the Alignment consensus sequence
There are 4 949 BEN domains in 3 834 proteins in SMART's NRDB database.

Taxonomic distribution of proteins containing BEN domains

The tree below includes only several representative species and genera. The complete taxonomic breakdown of all proteins containing BEN domains can be accessed here. Click the counts or percentage values to display the corresponding proteins.

Predicted cellular role

Cellular role:	Transcription

Relevant references for this domain

Primary literature for the BEN domain is listed below. Automatically-derived, secondary literature is also available.

KEGG pathways involving proteins which contain this domain

This information is based on the mapping of SMART genomic protein database to KEGG orthologous groups. Percentages are related to the number of proteins containing a BEN domain which could be assigned to a KEGG orthologous group, and not all proteins containing BEN domains. Please note that proteins can be included in multiple pathways, ie. the numbers below will not add to 100%.

KEGG pathways

Some of these pathways are included in the interactive Pathways Explorer overview maps. Select an overview map and click the button below to highlight them in iPath.

KEGG orthologous groups

Some of these KOs are included in the interactive Pathways Explorer overview maps. Select an overview map and click the button below to highlight them in iPath.

3D structures in PDB containing this domain

Links to other resources describing this domain

InterPro	IPR018379
Pfam	BEN