Functional Integration of the Bacteriophage T4 DNA Replication Complex: The Multiple Roles of the ssDNA Binding Protein (gp32).

ABSTRACT: Single-stranded (ss) DNA binding protein (gp32) serves as the central regulatory component of the multisubunit T4 bacteriophage DNA replication system by coordinating the system's three functional subassemblies, resulting in phage DNA synthesis in T4-infected Escherichia coli cells at the high speeds (∼1000 nts s^-1) and the high fidelity (<1 error per 10⁷ nts) required for genomic function within this cellular ecosystem. Gp32 proteins continuously bind to, slide on as cooperatively linked clusters, and unbind from transiently exposed single strands of DNA to carry out their coordinating functions. The N-terminal domains (NTDs) of gp32 mediate cooperative interactions within gp32 clusters, but the roles of the disordered C-terminal domains (CTD) in the nucleatio

SUBMITTER: Albrecht CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12730926 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature