HEPNdomain
The HEPN domain is a conserved protein domain found across bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. The name stems from higher eukaryotes and prokaryotes nucleotide-binding, and the domain is most prominently associated with RNA cleavage activity. HEPN domains are often found in nucleases that participate in RNA metabolism, defense against phages, and regulatory toxin–antitoxin systems.
Biochemical properties and mechanism: The catalytic activity of HEPN-containing nucleases typically depends on dimerization, with the
Distribution and roles: HEPN-domain proteins are widely distributed in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and often occur as
Structure and evolution: The HEPN domain is typically about 150–180 amino acids in length and can appear