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298 Cell-Penetrating Peptides: Processes and Applications<br />

Signal<br />

peptidase<br />

FIGURE 14.1 Protein targeting pathways to the cytoplasmic membrane in bacteria. Pathways<br />

are roughly classified based on the Sec (SecA/SecYEG) dependence. In E. coli, Sec-dependent<br />

pathways are either SecB-dependent or SRP-dependent but another Sec-dependent pathway<br />

may exist. For some SRP/SecYEG-dependent proteins, SecA may not be required. The role<br />

of YidC is under investigation but it is related to both Sec-dependent and Sec-independent<br />

pathways. Signal peptidases also affect the fate of signal peptides.<br />

14.2.1 SECB-DEPENDENT PATHWAY<br />

SecB protein plays an important (but not essential) role in translocation of proteins<br />

across the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. The Sec-system was<br />

originally thought to be totally SecB-dependent and the pathway was called “general<br />

secretory pathway” (GSP). 13 The current view 14-20 of a SecB-dependent pathway is<br />

that a preprotein (i.e., a protein with a signal peptide) protruding from a ribosome<br />

is recognized by SecB, which keeps the preprotein in an unfolded state (the translocation-competent<br />

state); the SecB–preprotein complex somehow moves to the<br />

membrane-bound SecYEG–SecA complex. SecB tightly interacts with SecA and<br />

then the preprotein is passed to the SecYEG protein-conducting channel; the preprotein<br />

starts translocation and SecB is released. Recent findings related to molecular<br />

recognition are further described next.<br />

14.2.1.1 SecB<br />

SecA<br />

SecYEG<br />

Ribosome<br />

SecB<br />

dependent<br />

FtsY<br />

SRP<br />

dependent<br />

Signal<br />

peptide<br />

Sec-independent<br />

Tat<br />

dependent<br />

YidC YidC Tat<br />

As noted, SecB first recognizes a nascent protein. Thus, the central issue of signal<br />

recognition could be its substrate specificity, which has been, however, a controversial<br />

matter. For one thing, SecB binds to many unfolded proteins in vitro 21 while it<br />

shows highly selective binding in vivo. 22 For another thing, there is apparently<br />

contradicting evidence on whether SecB is a specific signal-recognition factor or<br />

not. 23-25 Most studies seem to support the notion that SecB is a general chaperone

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