This entry represents the N-terminal domain of Baseplate protein gp9 from Bacteriophage T4, a component of the viral baseplate [1]. Gp9 connects the long tail fibres of the virus to the baseplate and triggers tail contraction after viral attachment t ...
This entry represents the N-terminal domain of Baseplate protein gp9 from Bacteriophage T4, a component of the viral baseplate [1]. Gp9 connects the long tail fibres of the virus to the baseplate and triggers tail contraction after viral attachment to a host cell. The protein is active as a trimer, with each monomer being composed of three domains. The N-terminal domain consists of an extended polypeptide chain and two alpha helices. The alpha1 helix from each of the three monomers in the trimer interacts with its counterparts to form a coiled-coil structure. The middle domain is a seven-stranded beta-sandwich. This entry represents the region including these two domains. Noticeably, the long flexible region between N-terminal and middle domains may be required for the function of gp9 to transmit signals from the long tail fibres [2]. Together with gp11, gp10 initiates the assembly of wedges that then go on to associate with a hub to form the viral baseplate [1].