The BACON (Bacteroidetes-Associated Carbohydrate-binding Often N-terminal) domain is an all-beta domain found in diverse architectures, principally in combination with carbohydrate-active enzymes and proteases. These architectures suggest a carbohydrate-binding function which is also supported by the nature of BACON's few conserved amino-acids. The phyletic distribution of BACON and other data tentatively suggest that it may frequently function to bind mucin [1]. Further work with the characterised structure of a member of glycoside hydrolase family 5 enzyme, PDB:3ZMR, has found no evidence for carbohydrate-binding for this domain [2].

1: Mining metagenomic data for novel domains: BACON, a new carbohydrate-binding module. Mello LV, Chen X, Rigden DJ; FEBS Lett. 2010;584:2421-2426. PMID:20416301

2: A discrete genetic locus confers xyloglucan metabolism in select human gut Bacteroidetes. Larsbrink J, Rogers TE, Hemsworth GR, McKee LS, Tauzin AS, Spadiut O, Klinter S, Pudlo NA, Urs K, Koropatkin NM, Creagh AL, Haynes CA, Kelly AG, Cederholm SN, Davies GJ, Martens EC, Brumer H; Nature. 2014;506:498-502. PMID:24463512