Overview:

Single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) in E. coli is involved in DNA replication, repair, and recombination (1). SSB enhances helix destabilization by DNA helicases thus preventing reannealing of single-stranded DNA and nuclease digestion during DNA replication (1). E. coli SSB is required for methyl-directed mismatch repair, induction of the SOS response, and recombinational repair (1). SSB interacts with DNA helicase RecQ of the RecF-recombination pathway and stimulates helicase activity (2). SSB also stabilizes replication origins, primosome assembly, plays a role in primosome assembly, enhances replication fidelity and polymerase processivity, and promotes polymerase binding to template DNA (1,2).

Gene Aliases:

ssb, exrB, lexC,

Genbank Number:

J01704

References:

1. Meyer, R. R., Laine, P. S. The single-stranded DNA-binding protein of Escherichia coli. Microbiol Rev. 1990, 54(4): 342-380. 2. Shereda, R. D. et al. SSB as an organizer/mobilizer of genome maintenance complexes. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 2008, 43(5): 289-318.