The structural basis of protein targeting and translocation in bacteria.

In Gram-negative bacteria, two distinct targeting routes assist in the proper localization of secreted and membrane proteins. Signal recognition particle (SRP) mainly targets ribosome-bound nascent membrane proteins, whereas SecB facilitates the targeting of periplasmic and outer membrane proteins. These routes converge at the translocase, a protein-conducting pore in the membrane that consists of the SecYEG complex associated with the peripheral ATPase, SecA. Recent structural studies of the targeting and the translocating components provide insights into how substrates are recognized and suggest a mechanism by which proteins are transported through an aqueous pore in the cytoplasmic membrane.

High viral burden in the presence of major HIV-specific CD8(+) T cell expansions: evidence for impaired CTL effector function.

To investigate the effect of HIV-specific CD8(+) T cells on viral plasma load and disease progression, we enumerated HLA-A2-, B8- and B57-restricted CD8(+) T cells directed against several HIV epitopes in a total of 54 patients by the use of tetrameric HLA-peptide complexes. In patients with high CD4(+) T cell numbers, HIV-specific tetramer(+) cells inversely correlated with viral load. Patients with CD4(+) T cell numbers below 400/microl blood, however, carried high viral load despite frequently having high tetramer(+) T cell numbers. This lack of correlation between viral load and tetramer(+) cells did not result from viral escape variants, as in only 4 of 13 patients, low frequencies of viruses with mutated epitopes were observed. In 15 patients we measured CD8(+) T cell antigen responsiveness to HIV peptide stimulation in vitro. FACS analyses showed differential IFN-gamma production of the tetramer(+) cells, and this proportion of IFN-gamma-producing tetramer(+) cells correlated with AIDS-free survival and with T cell maturation to the CD27(-) effector stage. These data show that most HIV-infected patients have sustained HIV-specific T cell expansions but many of these cells seem not to be functional, leaving the patient with high numbers of non-functional virus-specific CD8(+) T cells in the face of high viral burden.

Escherichia coli translocase: the unravelling of a molecular machine.

Protein translocation across the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane has been studied extensively in Escherichia coli. The identification of the components involved and subsequent reconstitution of the purified translocation reaction have defined the minimal constituents that allowed extensive biochemical characterization of the so-called translocase. This functional enzyme complex consists of the SecYEG integral membrane protein complex and a peripherally bound ATPase, SecA. Under translocation conditions, four SecYEG heterotrimers assemble into one large protein complex, forming a putative protein-conducting channel. This tetrameric arrangement of SecYEG complexes and the highly dynamic SecA dimer together form a proton-motive force- and ATP-driven molecular machine that drives the stepwise translocation of targeted polypeptides across the cytoplasmic membrane. Recent findings concerning the translocase structure and mechanism of protein translocation are discussed and shine new light on controversies in the field.

SecYEG assembles into a tetramer to form the active protein translocation channel.

Translocase mediates preprotein translocation across the Escherichia coli inner membrane. It consists of the SecYEG integral membrane protein complex and the peripheral ATPase SecA. Here we show by functional assays, negative-stain electron microscopy and mass measurements with the scanning transmission microscope that SecA recruits SecYEG complexes to form the active translocation channel. The active assembly of SecYEG has a side length of 10.5 nm and exhibits an approximately 5 nm central cavity. The mass and structure of this SecYEG as well as the subunit stoichiometry of SecA and SecY in a soluble translocase-precursor complex reveal that translocase consists of the SecA homodimer and four SecYEG complexes.

SecA is not required for signal recognition particle-mediated targeting and initial membrane insertion of a nascent inner membrane protein.

In Escherichia coli, signal recognition particle (SRP)-dependent targeting of inner membrane proteins has been described. In vitro cross-linking studies have demonstrated that short nascent chains exposing a highly hydrophobic targeting signal interact with the SRP. This SRP, assisted by its receptor, FtsY, mediates the transfer to a common translocation site in the inner membrane that contains SecA, SecG, and SecY. Here we describe a further in vitro reconstitution of SRP-mediated membrane insertion in which purified ribosome-nascent chain-SRP complexes are targeted to the purified SecYEG complex contained in proteoliposomes in a process that requires the SRP-receptor FtsY and GTP. We found that in this system SecA and ATP are dispensable for both the transfer of the nascent inner membrane protein FtsQ to SecY and its stable membrane insertion. Release of the SRP from nascent FtsQ also occurred in the absence of SecYEG complex indicating a functional interaction of FtsY with lipids. These data suggest that SRP/FtsY and SecB/SecA constitute distinct targeting routes.

A single amino acid substitution in SecY stabilizes the interaction with SecA.

The SecYEG complex constitutes a protein conducting channel across the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. It binds the peripheral ATPase SecA to form the translocase. When isoleucine 278 in transmembrane segment 7 of the SecY subunit was replaced by a unique cysteine, SecYEG supported an increased preprotein translocation and SecA translocation ATPase activity, and allowed translocation of a preprotein with a defective signal sequence. SecY(I278C)EG binds SecA with a higher affinity than normal SecYEG, in particular in the presence of ATP. The increased translocation activity of SecY(I278C)EG was confirmed in a purified system consisting of SecYEG proteoliposomes, while immunoprecipitation in detergent solution reveal that translocase-preprotein complexes are more stable with SecY(I278C) than with normal SecY. These data imply an important role for SecY transmembrane segment 7 in SecA binding. As improved SecA binding to SecY was also observed with the prlA4 suppressor mutation, it may be a general mechanism underlying signal sequence suppression.

Cysteine-directed cross-linking demonstrates that helix 3 of SecE is close to helix 2 of SecY and helix 3 of a neighboring SecE.

Preprotein translocation in Escherichia coli is mediated by translocase, a multimeric membrane protein complex with SecA as the peripheral ATPase and SecYEG as the translocation pore. Unique cysteines were introduced into transmembrane segment (TMS) 2 of SecY and TMS 3 of SecE to probe possible sites of interaction between the integral membrane subunits. The SecY and SecE single-Cys mutants were cloned individually and in pairs into a secYEG expression vector and functionally overexpressed. Oxidation of the single-Cys pairs revealed periodic contacts between SecY and SecE that are confined to a specific alpha-helical face of TMS 2 and 3, respectively. A Cys at the opposite alpha-helical face of TMS 3 of SecE was found to interact with a neighboring SecE molecule. Formation of this SecE dimer did not affect the high-affinity binding of SecA to SecYEG and ATP hydrolysis, but blocked preprotein translocation and thus uncouples the SecA ATPase activity from translocation. Conditions that prevent membrane deinsertion of SecA markedly stimulated the interhelical contact between the SecE molecules. The latter demonstrates a SecA-mediated modulation of the protein translocation channel that is sensed by SecE.

Temporal expression of the Bacillus subtilis secA gene, encoding a central component of the preprotein translocase.

In Bacillus subtilis, the secretion of extracellular proteins strongly increases upon transition from exponential growth to the stationary growth phase. It is not known whether the amounts of some or all components of the protein translocation apparatus are concomitantly increased in relation to the increased export activity. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptional organization and temporal expression of the secA gene, encoding a central component of the B. subtilis preprotein translocase. We found that secA and the downstream gene (prfB) constitute an operon that is transcribed from a vegetative (sigmaA-dependent) promoter located upstream of secA. Furthermore, using different independent methods, we found that secA expression occurred mainly in the exponential growth phase, reaching a maximal value almost precisely at the transition from exponential growth to the stationary growth phase. Following to this maximum, the de novo transcription of secA sharply decreased to a low basal level. Since at the time of maximal secA transcription the secretion activity of B. subtilis strongly increases, our results clearly demonstrate that the expression of at least one of the central components of the B. subtilis protein export apparatus is adapted to the increased demand for protein secretion. Possible mechanistic consequences are discussed.

Antibodies against mesangial cells and their secretory products in chronic renal allograft rejection in the rat.

Antibodies or cell-mediated immunity can cause chronic rejection of vascularized organ grafts, but the nature and specificity of the antigen(s) involved has remained elusive. We have previously demonstrated the presence of antibodies against cryptic glomerular basement membrane antigens and undefined antigens in the mesangial area in rats with chronic renal allograft rejection. Current experiments were designed to study the post-transplant antibody response against cultured mesangial and endothelial cells in rats with chronic rejection using flow cytometry, indirect immunofluorescent staining, immunoelectron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and Western blots. The results were compared with those obtained with alloantisera raised by immunization with cultured mesangial cells. Post-transplant and post-immunization sera contained IgG antibodies against trypsinized mesangial cells detected by flow cytometry. Indirect immunofluorescent studies using mesangial cells grown on coverslips showed autoantibody binding to cytoplasmic granules in cultures early after plating whereas staining of later cultures showed antibody binding in an interrupted, web-like pattern on the outside of the cells. Immunoelectron microscopy showed autoantibody binding to intracellular secretory granules and to cell surface focal adhesion plaques. The latter finding was confirmed in double-labeling experiments with an antiserum against vinculin. Western blots with mesangial cell culture supernatants demonstrated autoantibody reactivity with antigens in the 40-kd and 60- to 70-kd range, and immunoprecipitation identified these molecules as biglycan and decorin. Absorption of the sera with mesangial cell culture supernatant removed most of the antibodies except those that gave a punctate staining with the mesangial cell surface. However, not all immunostaining of mesangial cells could be explained by antibodies against biglycan and decorin. Post-transplant sera, furthermore, contained low-titered antibodies against endothelial cells. We conclude that rats with chronic renal transplant rejection produce a strong autoantibody response against mesangial cell focal adhesion plaques and proteins secreted by these cells in culture. Such antibodies may cause local damage and interfere in the tissue repair process after injury.

Interaction between SecA and SecYEG in micellar solution and formation of the membrane-inserted state.

Preprotein translocation in Escherichia coli is mediated by the translocase with SecA as peripheral ATPase and SecY, SecE, and SecG as membrane domain. To facilitate large-scale purification of the SecYEG heterotrimer, SecY was fused at its amino terminus with a hexahistidine tag and co-overexpressed with SecE and SecG. The presence of the His tag allowed purification of homogeneously pure SecYEG complex by a single anion-exchange chromatographic step starting from octyl glucoside-solubilized inner membranes. Endogenous levels of SecD and SecF copurified with the SecYEG protein. Purified SecYEG complex retained a nativelike, alpha-helical conformation in octyl glucoside and in micellar solution binds SecA with high affinity. In the presence of the nonhydrolyzable nucleotide analogue adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imidotriphosphate), octyl glucoside-solubilized SecYEG is nearly as effective as the reconstituted enzyme in inducing the formation of a proteinase K-protected 30 kDa fragment of 125I-labeled SecA, while SecYEG is proteolyzed to fragments smaller than 6 kDa. These data demonstrate that the 30-kDa SecA fragment is not protected by the lipid phase nor by SecYEG but rather indicate that it represents a SecYEG- and nucleotide-induced stable conformational state of a SecA domain.

In vivo cross-linking of the SecA and SecY subunits of the Escherichia coli preprotein translocase.

Precursor protein translocation across the Escherichia coli inner membrane is mediated by the translocase, which is composed of a heterotrimeric integral membrane protein complex with SecY, SecE, and SecG as subunits and peripherally bound SecA. Cross-linking experiments were conducted to study which proteins are associated with SecA in vivo. Formaldehyde treatment of intact cells results in the specific cross-linking of SecA to SecY. Concurrently with the increased membrane association of SecA, an elevated amount of cross-linked product was obtained in cells harboring overproduced SecYEG complex. Cross-linked SecA copurified with hexahistidine-tagged SecY and not with SecE. The data indicate that SecA and SecY coexist as a stable complex in the cytoplasmic membrane in vivo.

SecA is an intrinsic subunit of the Escherichia coli preprotein translocase and exposes its carboxyl terminus to the periplasm.

SecA is the dissociable ATPase subunit of the Escherichia coli preprotein translocase, and cycles in a nucleotide-modulated manner between the cytosol and the membrane. Overproduction of the integral subunits of the translocase, the SecY, SecE and SecG polypeptides, results in an increased level of membrane-bound SecA. This fraction of SecA is firmly associated with the membrane as it is resistant to extraction with the chaotropic agent urea, and appears to be anchored by SecYEG rather than by lipids. Topology analysis of this membrane-associated form of SecA indicates that it exposes a carboxy-terminal domain to the periplasmic face of the membrane.