For this Yuletide blog post, I sought long and hard a set of Christmas-related proteins. It is surprisingly difficult mostly because a google search for “Christmas protein” returns festive whey powders.

There are a couple though, such as the SANTA (SANT Associated) domain (SANT is a chromatin remodeling complex that binds unacetylated histone). Turns out that not only is SANTA making a list of your misdimeanours and checking it twice, he is also involved in your chromatin regulation.

“Christmas factor” is another – this is the alternative name for factor IX (a serine protease), the deficiency of which causes haemophilia B, so check your privilege next time you say you’re “sick of Christmas”.

Did you know there is only one reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) protein in the PDB? It’s a lipocalin (1YUP). Lipocalins bind small hydrophobic ligands and are found, among other places, in Rudolph’s tears.

I hope you all have a great vacation,

All best wishes,

Eve