This bacteriophage protein inhibits the bacterial host RNA polymerase by interacting with the RpoC subunit and inhibiting the formation of a promoter complex [1-3].

1: T7 phage protein Gp2 inhibits the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase by antagonizing stable DNA strand separation near the transcription start site. Camara B, Liu M, Reynolds J, Shadrin A, Liu B, Kwok K, Simpson P, Weinzierl R, Severinov K, Cota E, Matthews S, Wigneshweraraj SR; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010;107:2247-2252. PMID:20133868

2: Structural and mechanistic basis for the inhibition of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase by T7 Gp2. James E, Liu M, Sheppard C, Mekler V, Camara B, Liu B, Simpson P, Cota E, Severinov K, Matthews S, Wigneshweraraj S; Mol Cell. 2012;47:755-766. PMID:22819324

3: Phage T7 Gp2 inhibition of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase involves misappropriation of sigma70 domain 1.1. Bae B, Davis E, Brown D, Campbell EA, Wigneshweraraj S, Darst SA; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110:19772-19777. PMID:24218560