PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “SEC Translocation Channels”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources

Purification of a functional mature region from a SecA-dependent preprotein.

Most of the bacterial proteins that are active in extracytoplasmic locations are translocated through the inner membrane by the Sec translocase. Translocase comprises a membrane "pore" and the peripheral ATPase SecA. Where preproteins bind to SecA and how they activate translocation ATPase remains elusive. To address this central question we have purified to homogeneity the mature and preprotein parts of an exported protein (pCH5EE). pCH5EE satisfies a minimal size required for protein translocation and its membrane insertion is SecA-dependent. Purified pCH5EE and CH5EE can form physical complexes with SecA and can functionally suppress the elevated ATPase of a constitutively activated mutant. These properties render pCH5EE and CH5EE unique tools for the biochemical mapping of the preprotein binding site on SecA.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Expression and purification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa SecA N-terminal domain: stimulation of ATPase activity of the SecAL43P mutant protein.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium which secretes a wide range of hydrolytic enzymes, toxins, and virulence factors into the extracellular medium. Although P. aeruginosa possesses numerous specific systems for the export of proteins across its double-membrane envelopes, the Sec system is still the major and essential mechanism. However, very little is known about its molecular basis. We constructed, cloned, and expressed the N-terminal 236 amino acids of PaSecA domain (PaSecAN236), and SecAL43P mutants of P. aeruginosa in Escherichia coli BL21.19 (secA(ts)). Here, we describe the purification of PaSecAN236 by using osmotic shock as the first step to efficiently release targeted protein from cells, followed by cation-exchange and size exclusion columns to obtain homogeneous PaSecAN236. The purified PaSecA N-terminal domain was functional in stimulating the ATPase activity of mutant SecAL43P protein of P. aeruginosa.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Expression, purification, and characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa SecA.

A secA gene from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was amplified and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21.19 (secA13) under conditions where E. coli SecA was depleted. The binding of P. aeruginosa SecA (PaSecA) to the SP-Sepharose column was facilitated by ammonium sulfate fractionation but was not necessary for E. coli SecA (EcSecA) as the later bound more efficiently. PaSecA and EcSecA were purified by the single chromatographic step to greater than 98% purity and had a recovery of more than 20 and 40%, respectively, from the soluble fraction. This simple step purification obtained a higher homogeneity than previously reported. Cross-reactivity by immunoblotting showed that the purified PaSecA contained little EcSecA if any. The purified PaSecA is a dimer in solution, as judged by size exclusion chromatography, and is slightly larger than its counterpart EcSecA with an estimated molecular weight of 240 kDa. Further studies by the sedimentation velocity method indicate that PaSecA tends to remain as a monomer in solution. The purified PaSecA possessed ATPase activity; the intrinsic and liposome-stimulated ATPase specific activities of PaSecA were approximately 50% of EcSecA.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Transmembrane helices before, during, and after insertion.

The transmembrane (TM) helix is the fundamental structural unit of helix-bundle membrane proteins. Recent biophysical studies provide new insights into the interactions of TM helices with each other and with membrane lipid bilayers. The biological process of helix insertion is carried out by translocon complexes acting in concert with ribosomes. An electron cryo-microscopic reconstruction of these complexes reveals their architecture in new detail, and shows that the complex is constructed from four SecY/Sec61 heterotrimers and two TRAP complexes. A disulfide bridge study shows that elongating polypeptide chains pass through the pore previously identified in the X-ray structure of an archaeal SecY heterotrimer. The fundamental code used by the translocon to select polypeptide segments for insertion as TM helices has been broken. A detailed analysis of the TM amino acid distributions of helix-bundle membrane proteins of known structure recapitulates this code.

Animals↗

Stepwise evolution of the Sec machinery in Proteobacteria.

The Sec machinery facilitates the translocation of proteins across and into biological membranes. In several of the Proteobacteria, this machinery contains accessory features that are not present in any other bacterial division. The genomic distribution of these features in the context of bacterial phylogeny suggests that the Sec machinery has evolved in discrete steps. The canonical Sec machinery was initially supplemented with SecB; subsequently, SecE was extended with two transmembrane segments and, finally, SecM was introduced. The Sec machinery of Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriales represents the end product of this stepwise evolution.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

The plastid translocon component TOC36 exhibits an affinity for the bacterial protein translocation process.

The 44-kDa envelope polypeptides are active components of the plastid translocon, but their role in plastid protein import remains elusive. One form from Brassica napus (bnToc36B) was previously observed to exert a significant overall effect on bacterial protein translocation, but the nature of the influence requires further characterization. The experimental strategies employed in this study thus focus specifically on the nature of the bnToc36B-bacterial Sec translocon relationship to gain an understanding of Toc36's function. BnToc36B's presence in bacteria created a number of effects related to the protein transport process that together point to functional interactions with the bacterial Sec translocon. These effects are (1) reduced sensitivity to azide impairment as measured by a higher recovery rate from azide treatment, (2) reduced sensitivity to suboptimal temperatures manifesting as sustained levels of protein synthesis and translocation, (3) sustained levels of growth and beta-lactamase transport in high ampicillin concentrations, and (4) evidence for a physical affinity for the bacterial translocon. A reduction in overall SecA levels and a more stable SecA profile, when subjected to azide treatment, was observed in bnToc36B-containing bacteria. The implications of the bacterial data are discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

A novel protein transport system involved in the biogenesis of bacterial electron transfer chains.

The Tat system is a recently discovered bacterial protein transport pathway that functions primarily in the biosynthesis of proteins containing redox active cofactors. Analogous transport systems are found in plant organelles. Remarkably and uniquely the Tat system functions to transported a diverse range of folded proteins across a biological membrane, a feat that must be achieved without rendering the membrane freely permeable to protons and other ions. Here we review the operation of the bacterial Tat system and propose a model for the structural organisation of the Tat preprotein translocase.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

What fuels polypeptide translocation? An energetical view on mitochondrial protein sorting.

Protein sorting into mitochondria is achieved by the concerted action of at least four translocation complexes. Vectorial transport of polypeptide chains by these complexes requires different driving forces. In particular, Deltapsi, matrix adenosine triphosphate and the free energy of the binding to other protein components are used in series to achieve sorting of proteins to the various mitochondrial subcompartments. The processes providing the translocation energy are presented in this review and their impact for protein sorting into and within mitochondria is discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

The hydrophobic region of signal peptides is involved in the interaction with membrane-bound SecA.

The positive charges of signal peptides are important for the interaction with SecA, a translocation ATPase. To examine whether or not the hydrophobic region of signal peptides also interacts with SecA, we constructed model preproteins, proOmpF-Lpps, possessing no positively charged amino acid residues at the amino-terminus and different numbers of alanine/leucine residues in the hydrophobic region of signal peptides. When the hydrophobic stretch was sufficiently long, amino-terminal positively charged residues were not required for the translocation of preproteins across the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli both in vitro and in vivo. Chemical cross-linking between SecA and preproteins possessing no positively charged residues at the amino-terminus was observed only in the presence of liposomes containing acidic phospholipids. The degree of cross-linking increased as the length of the hydrophobic stretch increased irrespective of whether positively charged residues were present or not. A preprotein possessing no positively charged residues at the amino-terminus, which is competent in the presence of liposomes, competitively inhibited the cross-linking of wild-type proOmpF-Lpp with SecA under the same conditions. It is concluded that both the amino-terminal positive charges and central hydrophobic domains are involved in the interaction with SecA in the initial stage of translocation in addition to their possible roles in transmembrane movement of preproteins.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the Borrelia burgdorferi secA gene.

A Borrelia burgdorferi secA homologue was cloned and the complete DNA sequence was determined. The deduced protein sequence consists of 899 amino acids and shows a high degree of homology to SecA homologues from other Bacteria and photosynthetic plastids. The presence of the secA gene in Spirochetes suggests that this gene is present in most if not all major lineages within Bacteria. The ease of isolation of secA by conservation of its ATP-binding motifs combined with its extreme conservation in protein secretion pathways and the presence of a phylogenetic sequence marker in one of its ATP-binding domains makes this gene useful for phylogenetic analysis of Bacteria and photosynthetic plastids.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Chloroplast SecE: evidence for spontaneous insertion into the thylakoid membrane.

SecE, an essential component of the bacterial SecAYEG translocase, mediates protein translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane. In the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts an SecE homologue, cpSecE, has recently been identified. In this report we show that insertion of cpSecE does not require stromal extract, indicating that signal recognition particle is not involved. Removal of nucleoside triphosphates has apparently no effect on the integration, again ruling out an involvement of SRP or its partner protein, FtsY. The use of well-known inhibitors of the Sec- and Tat pathways, sodium azide and nigericin, respectively, also had no influence on membrane insertion. The data presented here point towards cpSecE as another passenger of a wholly spontaneous import/insertion pathway in the thylakoids of chloroplasts.

Arabidopsis Proteins↗

Influence of tat mutations on the ribose-binding protein translocation in Escherichia coli.

Proteins are exported across the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane either as unfolded precursors via the Sec machinery or in folded conformation via the Tat system. The ribose-binding protein (RBP) of Escherichia coli is a Sec-pathway substrate. Intriguingly, it exhibits fast folding kinetics and its export is independent of SecB, a general chaperone protein dedicated for protein secretion. In this study, we found that the quantity of RBP was significantly reduced in the periplasm of tat mutants, which was restored by in trans expression of the tatABC genes. Pulse-chase experiments showed that significant amount of wild-type RBP was processed in a secY mutant in the presence of azide (SecA inhibitor), whereas the processing of a slow folding RBP derivative was almost completely blocked under the same conditions. These results would suggest that under the Sec-defective conditions the export of a portion of folded RBP could be rescued by the Tat system.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Different lumen-targeting pathways for nuclear-encoded versus cyanobacterial/plastid-encoded Hcf136 proteins.

Lumenal proteins are transported across the thylakoid membrane by two very different pathways: Sec-dependent or twin-arginine translocase (Tat)-dependent, where the substrate protein can be transported in a folded state. We present the first evidence that a given protein can be targeted by different pathways in different organisms. Arabidopsis Hcf136 is targeted exclusively by the Tat pathway in pea chloroplasts and no Sec-dependent transport is evident even when the twin-arginine is replaced by twin-lysine. However, twin-arginine motifs are absent from the presequences of Hcf136 proteins encoded by plastid or cyanobacterial genomes, strongly implying translocation by another pathway (presumably Sec). We suggest that the Hcf136 protein was transferred to the Tat pathway when the gene became incorporated into the nuclear genome, possibly due to the tighter folding associated with the more involved, post-translational targeting pathway.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Bacterial protein translocase: a unique molecular machine with an army of substrates.

Secretion of most polypeptides across the bacterial plasma membrane is catalyzed by the Sec protein translocase. This complex molecular machine comprises a flexible transmembrane conduit coupled to a motor-like component and displays four activities: (a) it is a specific receptor at its cytoplasmic side for all secretory polypeptides, (b) it converts metabolic energy from ATP and proton gradients into mechanical motion, (c) it prevents substrates from folding in statu translocanti and (d) it binds and releases short segments of the polymeric substrate sequentially. Combination of these activities allows translocase to move processively along the length of the substrate. Substrates are thus gradually expelled from the membrane and are released for subsequent extracytoplasmic folding.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Nascent Lep inserts into the Escherichia coli inner membrane in the vicinity of YidC, SecY and SecA.

Targeting and assembly of the Escherichia coli inner membrane protein leader peptidase (Lep) was studied using a homologous in vitro targeting/translocation assay. Assembly of full-length Lep was efficient in the co-translational presence of membrane vesicles and hardly occurred when membranes were added post-translationally. This is consistent with the signal recognition particle-dependent targeting of Lep. Crosslinking experiments showed that the hydrophilic region P1 of nascent membrane-inserted Lep 100-mer was in the vicinity of SecA and SecY, whereas the first transmembrane domain H1 was in the vicinity of YidC. These results suggested that YidC, together with the Sec translocase, functions in the assembly of Lep. YidC might be a more generic component in the assembly of inner membrane proteins.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

The high affinity ATP binding site modulates the SecA-precursor interaction.

SecA is the central component of the protein-translocation machinery of Escherichia coli. It is able to interact with the precursor protein, the chaperone SecB, the integral membrane protein complex SecYEG, acidic phospholipids and its own mRNA. We studied the interaction between prePhoE and SecA by using a site-specific photocrosslinking strategy. We found that SecA is able to interact with both the signal sequence and the mature domain of prePhoE. Furthermore, this interaction was dependent on the type of nucleotide bound. SecA in the ADP-bound conformation was unable to crosslink with the precursor, whereas the ATP-bound conformation was active in precursor crosslinking. The SecA-precursor interaction was maintained in the presence of E. coli phospholipids but was loosened by the presence of phosphatidylglycerol bilayers. Examining SecA ATP binding site mutants demonstrated that ATP hydrolysis at the N-terminal high affinity binding site is responsible for the changed interaction with the preprotein.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Effect of divalent cations on the ATPase activity of Escherichia coli SecA.

It was found that Ca(2+) stimulates the intrinsic SecA ATPase activity in the absence as well as in the presence of liposome. On the other hand, Mg(2+), the general cofactor for ATPase, did not affect the intrinsic SecA ATPase but reduced the portion of ATPase activity enhanced by Ca(2+). The enhancement of SecA ATPase activity correlated well with the increase in 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulfonic acid binding of SecA, suggesting that increased exposure of hydrophobic residues stimulates the enzyme activity.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗