Protein DEK is an abundant and ubiquitous chromatin protein in multicellular organisms (not in yeast) [, ]. It preferentially binds to superhelical and cruciform DNA, and induces positive supercoils into closed circular DNA []. This protein has two DNA binding domains, the SAP/SAF box located at the centre of the protein, and the second one at the C-terminal, which contains several phosphorylation sites important for its activity. It is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, senescence and apoptosis, being associated with cancers and autoimmune diseases and a possible therapeutic drug target []. In humans DEK can be secreted by macrophages, and the secreted DEK regulates the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells through CXCR2 signaling [].
DEK is a chromatin associated protein that is linked with cancers and autoimmune disease. This domain is found at the C-terminal of DEK and is of clinical importance since it can reverse the characteristic abnormal DNA-mutagen sensitivity in fibroblasts from ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) patients [, ]. The structure of this domain shows it to be homologous to the E2F/DP transcription factor family []. This domain is also found in chitin synthase proteins like , and in protein phosphatases such as .
