The ARID family of DNA binding proteins are characterized by the presence of an AT-rich interactive domain (ARID) which bind AT-rich DNA sequences in a not necessarily sequence specific fashion. The consensus sequence occurs in proteins from all sequenced eukaryotic organisms. The basic structure of the domain appears to be a series of six helices separated by ß-strands, loops, or turns, but the structured region may extend to an additional helix at either or both ends of the basic six. Most ARID family members have not been characterized with respect to their DNA-binding behavior, but it is already apparent that not all ARIDs conform to the pattern of binding AT-rich sequences. The ARID family is subdivided into 7 distinct families based on sequence identity among members (PMID:11959810). Five out of the 7 ARID families bind DNA without sequence specificity (PMC:546134).