Identification and characterization of a single-stranded DNA-binding protein from thermophilic bacteriophage GVE2

Single-stranded DNA-binding (SSB) proteins are indispensable for survival of almost all known living organisms. Due to their numerous applications in diverse molecular biology and analytical methods, SSB proteins have received increasing research interest. In this investigation, a novel SSB gene was identified from a deep-sea thermophilic bacteriophage Geobacillus virus E2 (GVE2) for the first time. The GVE2 SSB protein shared homologies to known SSB proteins from other species. After recombinant expression in E. coli, the purified SSB protein was used for antibody preparation. The Northern and Western blots showed that the GVE2 SSB gene might be an early viral gene. As revealed by DNA binding assay, the recombinant GVE2 SSB protein had single-stranded DNA binding capacity.