The uvsWXY system is implicated in the replication and repair of the bacteriophage T4 genome. UvsW is a member of the monomeric SF2 helicase superfamily that translocates nucleic acid substrates via the action of two RecA-like motor domains. A sequencing error at the 3-end of the uvsW gene has revealed a second, short open reading frame that encodes a protein of unknown function called UvsW.1.

This entry represents UvsW.1, which exhibits a dynamic four-helix bundle structure. Helices 2, 3 and 4 form a rigid 3-helix bundle while helix 1 is separate from the core. This protein is a highly conserved protein in T4-related viruses. The only major differences are insertions and deletions in either the linker between helices 1 and 2, or the C-terminus. PMID:17878153