psiC

psiC is a gene symbol used in various bacterial genomes and sometimes in phage and plasmid contexts. It does not denote a single universal protein. The annotation of psiC is context-dependent, and the gene often encodes a small protein with unknown or variable function.

In some Enterobacteriaceae such as Salmonella and Escherichia, psiC is found near other virulence-associated loci and is sometimes implicated in regulation of the Type III secretion system (T3SS). However, functional data are inconsistent and may be strain-specific; psiC is not universally required for virulence, and some annotations treat psiC as a hypothetical or putative regulatory protein.

In other contexts, the psiC annotation appears on plasmids or phage genomes and typically encodes a small protein of unknown function; experimental validation is limited and the exact role is not universally defined.

Because gene symbols like psiC are used across species and databases, researchers should consult organism-specific annotations and primary literature. The name does not imply a conserved function.