A new membrane-associated DNA replication protein, the gene 69 product of bacteriophage T4, shares a patch of homology with the Escherichia coli dnaA protein.

A new phage T4 DNA replication protein, gp69, is found to be associated with membrane fractions, as predicted by the translated base sequence of gene 69. In addition, gp69 shares a patch of homology with a segment of the Escherichia coli dnaA initiation protein. The patchy homology of dnaA protein and gp69 suggests that they may serve some similar functions, such as interactions with the same E. coli components in bacterial and viral DNA replication. We have shown before that gene 69 spans an origin of T4 DNA replication, and that this origin is preferentially associated with membrane fractions. We suggest the possibility that gp69 is involved in the attachment of this origin to the bacterial envelope.