title: Single-stranded DNA binding protein encoded by the filamentous bacteriophage M13: structural and functional characteristics.
abstract: The single-stranded DNA binding protein, or gene V protein (gVp), encoded by gene V of the filamentous bacteriophage M13 is a multifunctional protein that not only regulates viral DNA replication but also gene expression at the level of mRNA translation. It furthermore is implicated as a scaffolding and/or chaperone protein during the phage assembly process at the hostcell membrane. The protein is 87 amino acids long and its biological functional entity is a homodimer. In this manuscript a short description of the life cycle of filamentous phages is presented and our current knowledge of the major functional and structural properties and characteristics of gene V protein are reviewed. In addition models of the superhelical complexes gVp forms with ssDNA are described and their (possible) biological meaning in the infection process are discussed. Finally it is described that the 'DNA binding loop' of gVp is a recurring motif in many ssDNA binding proteins and that the fold of gVp is shared by a large family of evolutionarily conserved gene regulatory proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Stassen
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Folmer
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hilbers
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Konings
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017104:Bacteriophage M13 / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C057816:gene 5 protein, Enterobacteria phage M13