This family consists of several bacterial sex pilus assembly and synthesis proteins (TraE). Conjugal transfer of plasmids from donor to recipient cells is a complex process in which a cell-to-cell contact plays a key role. Many genes encoded by self-transmissible plasmids are required for various processes of conjugation, including pilus formation, stabilisation of mating pairs, conjugative DNA metabolism, surface exclusion and regulation of transfer gene expression [1]. The exact function of the TraE protein is unknown.

1: The transfer region of IncI1 plasmid R64: similarities between R64 tra and legionella icm/dot genes. Komano T, Yoshida T, Narahara K, Furuya N; Mol Microbiol 2000;35:1348-1359. PMID:10760136