SmpB
SmpB is a small bacterial protein that plays a crucial role in trans-translation, a ribosome rescue mechanism that freeses stalled ribosomes and prevents production of aberrant proteins. It functions together with tmRNA, also known as SsrA, to recognize and resolve ribosomes stuck on damaged or truncated mRNAs and to tag the resulting polypeptides for degradation.
In the trans-translation process, SmpB binds to tmRNA and aids its delivery to the A site of
SmpB is typically about 140–160 amino acids in length and is a basic, single-domain protein. It has
Genetically, smpB is commonly found in bacterial genomes, often in proximity to the ssrA (tmRNA) gene, reflecting