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Identity Determinants of the Translocation Signal for a Type 1 Secretion System.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Spitz, Olivia 
Erenburg, Isabelle N 
Kanonenberg, Kerstin 
Peherstorfer, Sandra 
Lenders, Michael HH 

Abstract

The toxin hemolysin A was first identified in uropathogenic E. coli strains and shown to be secreted in a one-step mechanism by a dedicated secretion machinery. This machinery, which belongs to the Type I secretion system family of the Gram-negative bacteria, is composed of the outer membrane protein TolC, the membrane fusion protein HlyD and the ABC transporter HlyB. The N-terminal domain of HlyA represents the toxin which is followed by a RTX (Repeats in Toxins) domain harboring nonapeptide repeat sequences and the secretion signal at the extreme C-terminus. This secretion signal, which is necessary and sufficient for secretion, does not appear to require a defined sequence, and the nature of the encoded signal remains unknown. Here, we have combined structure prediction based on the AlphaFold algorithm together with functional and in silico data to examine the role of secondary structure in secretion. Based on the presented data, a C-terminal, amphipathic helix is proposed between residues 975 and 987 that plays an essential role in the early steps of the secretion process.

Description

Keywords

ABC transporter, ATPase activity, amphipathic helix, bacterial secretion systems, protein secretion, secretion signal

Journal Title

Front Physiol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1664-042X
1664-042X

Volume Title

Publisher

Frontiers Media
Sponsorship
European Research Council (742210)
Wellcome Trust (200873/Z/16/Z)
ERC