Tape measure protein

UniProtKB accession:  P03736

Grouped By:  Matching UniProtKB accession

UniProtKB description:  Serves as a ruler that controls the length of tail by stopping the tail tube polymerization and is probably released from the tail shaft during infection to facilitate DNA translocation into the host cell (PubMed:2150582). Assembles into a multimeric linear form possibly stabilized by the covering tail assembly proteins G and GT (PubMed:23911548). Its C-terminus fixes the tail tip complex (J, I, L, K), thereby forming the tail assembly initiator complex (PubMed:23911548). Tail tube proteins polymerize around tape measure protein, displacing the tail assembly protein G and GT (PubMed:23911548). When the tail reaches the length specified by the tape measure protein, it stops and becomes capped by the tail terminator protein (Probable). Upon tail assembly, tape measure protein is cleaved into a form called H*, that plays a role later during virion entry in a new cell (Probable). Once assembled, the virion is released and can infect new cell by binding to the entry receptor LambB (Probable). After opening of a pore on the external membrane, the entry protein H* protein is probably released in the periplasmic space for successfull DNA injection (PubMed:23911548).