Spectrin, beta, non-erythrocytic 5 also known as SPTBN5 is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 which in humans is encoded by the SPTBN5 gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

. SPTBN5 belongs to the spectrin

Spectrin

Spectrin is a cytoskeletal protein that lines the intracellular side of the plasma membrane of many cell types in pentagonal or hexagonal arrangements, forming a scaffolding and playing an important role in maintenance of plasma membrane integrity and cytoskeletal structure...

 family of cytoskeletal

Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeleton is a cellular "scaffolding" or "skeleton" contained within a cell's cytoplasm and is made out of protein. The cytoskeleton is present in all cells; it was once thought to be unique to eukaryotes, but recent research has identified the prokaryotic cytoskeleton...

 proteins.

Structure and function

SPTBN5 contains the following domains

Protein domain

A protein domain is a part of protein sequence and structure that can evolve, function, and exist independently of the rest of the protein chain. Each domain forms a compact three-dimensional structure and often can be independently stable and folded. Many proteins consist of several structural...

:

• actin-binding domain
• membrane-association domain-1
• self-association domain
• C-terminal pleckstrin homology domain
  Pleckstrin homology domain
  Pleckstrin homology domain is a protein domain of approximately 120 amino acids that occurs in a wide range of proteins involved in intracellular signaling or as constituents of the cytoskeleton....
  
  .

Based on these structural features it is thought that SPTBN5 is likely to form heterodimers and oligomers with alpha-spectrin and to interact directly with cellular membranes.

SPTBN5 is highly expressed in embryoid bodies

Embryoid body

Embryoid bodies are aggregates of cells derived from embryonic stem cells, and have been studied for years with mouse embryonic stem cells. Cell aggregation is imposed by hanging drop, plating upon non-tissue culture treated plates or spinner flasks; either method prevents cells from adhering to a...

.