PMID:15557327

From EcoliWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Citation

Blaudeck, N, Kreutzenbeck, P, Müller, M, Sprenger, GA and Freudl, R (2005) Isolation and characterization of bifunctional Escherichia coli TatA mutant proteins that allow efficient tat-dependent protein translocation in the absence of TatB. J. Biol. Chem. 280:3426-32

Abstract

In Escherichia coli, the Tat system promotes the membrane translocation of a subset of exported proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane. Four genes (tatA, tatB, tatC, and tatE) have been identified that encode the components of the E. coli Tat translocation apparatus. Whereas TatA and TatE can functionally substitute for each other, the TatB and the TatC proteins have been shown to perform distinct functions. In contrast to Tat systems of the ABC(E) type found in E. coli and many other bacteria, some microorganisms possess a TatAC-type translocase that consists of TatA and TatC only, suggesting that, in these systems, TatB is not required or that one of the remaining components (TatA or TatC) additionally takes over the TatB function. We have addressed the molecular basis for the difference in subunit composition between TatABC(E) and TatAC-type systems by using a genetic approach. A plasmid-encoded E. coli minimal Tat translocase consisting solely of TatA and TatC was shown to mediate a low level translocation of a sensitive Tat-dependent reporter protein. Suppressor mutations in the minimal Tat translocase were isolated that compensate for the absence of TatB and that showed substantial increases in translocation activities. All of the mutations mapped to the extreme amino-terminal domain of TatA. No mutations affecting TatC were identified. These results suggest that in TatAC-type systems, the TatA protein represents a bifunctional component fulfilling both the TatA and TatB functions. Furthermore, our results indicate that the structure of the amino-terminal domain of TatA is decisive for whether or not TatB is required.

Links

PubMed Online version:10.1074/jbc.M411210200

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence; Escherichia coli/genetics; Escherichia coli/metabolism; Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins/metabolism; Genes, Reporter; Membrane Transport Proteins/chemistry; Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics; Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating/metabolism; Periplasmic Binding Proteins/genetics; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Protein Transport/physiology

Significance

You can help EcoliWiki by summarizing why this paper is useful

Useful Materials and Methods

You can help Ecoliwiki by describing the useful materials (strains, plasmids, antibodies, etc) described in this paper.

Annotations

<annotationlinks/>

EcoliWiki Links

Add links to pages that link here (e.g. gene, product, method pages)

References

See Help:References for how to manage references in EcoliWiki.