Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in a cell is highly prone to degradation, so cells shield ssDNA from nucleases by coating it with single-strand DNA binding proteins (SSBs). In eukaryotes, the canonical SSB is a heterotrimer known as RPA. This paper characterizes a second SSB from human cells, which is called hSSB1. Unlike RPA, hSSB1 is a single protein. Its primary function seems to be in the cellular response to DNA damage.
- Derek J. Richard
- Emma Bolderson
- Kum Kum Khanna
