InterPro domain: IPR036013

The band-7 protein family comprises a diverse set of membrane-bound proteins characterised by the presence of a conserved domain, the band-7 domain, also known as SPFH or PHB domain [ 1 ]. The exact function of the band-7 domain is not known, but examples from animal and bacterial stomatin-type proteins demonstrate binding to lipids and the ability to assemble into membrane-bound oligomers that form putative scaffolds [ 2 ]. A variety of proteins belong to this family. These include the prohibitins, cytoplasmic anti-proliferative proteins and stomatin, an erythrocyte membrane protein. Bacterial HflC protein also belongs to this family.

Note: Band 4.1 and Band 7 proteins refer to human erythrocyte membrane proteins separated by SDS polyacrylamide gels and stained with coomassie blue [ 3 ].

1. The SPFH domain: implicated in regulating targeted protein turnover in stomatins and other membrane-associated proteins. Trends Biochem. Sci. 24, 425-7
2. Mitochondrial Band-7 family proteins: scaffolds for respiratory chain assembly? Front Plant Sci 5, 141
3. Electrophoretic analysis of the major polypeptides of the human erythrocyte membrane. Biochemistry 10, 2606-17