InterPro domain: IPR042066

This superfamily represents the death-like domain (DLD) of Spt6 (Suppressor of Ty 6, originally discovered in Saccharomyces cerevisiae), a gene that influences general transcription through manipulation of chromatin structure at upstream promoter elements [ 1 ].

This DLD domain maintains the characteristic overall topology of death domains, as it consists of a six-helix bundle with three stacked antiparallel helices and an additional helix inserted between the final two helices of the bundle. The Spt6 DLD prominent location and the observation that it displays the most highly conserved region of the Spt6 surface suggest that it mediates important intermolecular interactions [ 2 , 3 ].

1. Crystal structures of the S. cerevisiae Spt6 core and C-terminal tandem SH2 domain. J. Mol. Biol. 408, 697-713
2. Structure and biological importance of the Spn1-Spt6 interaction, and its regulatory role in nucleosome binding. Mol. Cell 40, 725-35
3. Spt6 is required for heterochromatic silencing in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Mol. Cell. Biol. 31, 4193-204