Solution NMR structure of the helicase associated domain BVU_0683(627–691) from Bacteroides vulgatus provides first structural coverage for protein domain family PF03457 and indicates domain binding to DNA

A high-quality NMR structure of the helicase associated (HA) domain comprising residues 627–691 of the 753-residue protein BVU_0683 from Bacteroides vulgatus exhibits an all α-helical fold. The structure presented here is the first representative for the large protein domain family PF03457 (currently 742 members) of HA domains. Comparison with structurally similar proteins supports the hypothesis that HA domains bind to DNA and that binding specificity varies greatly within the family of HA domains constituting PF03457.