This bacterial adaptor domain of the Death-domain fold is involved in protein-protein interactions in biological conflict systems. bDLDs show a characteristic architectural pattern. One copy is always fused, typically to the N- or C-terminus, of a core component of a biological conflict system; examples include VMAP and iSTAND. Further copies of the same bDLD are fused to either effector or signal-transducing domains, or additional Effector-associated domains (EADs). bDLD pairs are frequently observed together on the genome in conserved gene neighborhoods, but can also be severed from such neighborhoods and located in distant regions, indicating the bDLD-bDLD coupling approximates the advantages of collinear transcription. bDLD3 is closest in sequence and likely progenitor of the metazoan Death-superfamily. bDLD3 shows a greater diversity of contextual associations in conflict systems in comparison to bDLD1 and bDLD2 [1].

1: Bacterial death and TRADD-N domains help define novel apoptosis and immunity mechanisms shared by prokaryotes and metazoans. Kaur G, Iyer LM, Burroughs AM, Aravind L; Elife. 2021; [Epub ahead of print] PMID:34061031