PrgE: an OB-fold protein from plasmid pCF10 with striking differences to prototypical bacterial SSBs.

A major pathway for horizontal gene transfer is the transmission of DNA from donor to recipient cells via plasmid-encoded type IV secretion systems (T4SSs). Many conjugative plasmids encode for a single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) together with their T4SS. Some of these SSBs have been suggested to aid in establishing the plasmid in the recipient cell, but for many, their function remains unclear.