Structural highlights
Function
TSP_BPT4 Structural component of the bacteriophage tail which consists of a contractile sheath, a tube and a baseplate. The central cylindrical segment of the tail consists of a rigid tube, composed of multiple copies of gp19, surrounded by the outer contractile sheath assembled from gp18 subunits. A total of 138 copies of gp18 arranged into 23 hexameric rings constitutes the sheath. During infection, contraction of the sheath drives the central tube through the host outer membrane, creating a channel for DNA ejection from the capsid into the host cell.[1]
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
References
- ↑ Leiman PG, Kanamaru S, Mesyanzhinov VV, Arisaka F, Rossmann MG. Structure and morphogenesis of bacteriophage T4. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2003 Nov;60(11):2356-70. PMID:14625682 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00018-003-3072-1
