The PrlA and PrlG phenotypes are caused by a loosened association among the translocase SecYEG subunits.
prlA mutations in the gene encoding the SecY subunit of the membrane domain of the Escherichia coli preprotein translocase confer many phenotypes: enhanced translocation rates, increased affinity for SecA, diminished requirement for functional leader sequences, reduced proton-motive force (PMF) dependence of preprotein translocation and facilitated translocation of preproteins with folded domains. We now report that both prlA and prlG mutations weaken the associations between the SecY, SecE and SecG subunits of the translocase. This loosened association increases the initiation of translocation by facilitating the insertion of SecA with its bound preprotein but reduces the stimulatory effect of the PMF during the initial step of translocation. Furthermore, the originally isolated prlA4 mutant, which possesses a particularly labile SecYEG complex, acquired a secondary mutation that restored the stability while conserving the flexibility of the complex. Combinations of certain prlA and prlG mutations, known to cause synthetic lethality in vivo, dramatically loosen subunit association and lead to complete disassembly of SecYEG. These findings underscore the importance of the loosened SecYEG association for the Prl phenotypes. We propose a model in which each of the PrlA and PrlG phenotypes derive from this enhanced SecYEG conformational flexibility.
Duong
F
F
Laboratoire Transports et Signalisation Cellulaires, CNRS UMR 8619, Bâtiment 430, Université de Paris XI, Orsay, 91405, France.
Wickner
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W
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000483:Alleles; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D016153:Genes, Suppressor / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018892:Proton-Motive Force / Q000502:physiology; D000069816:SEC Translocation Channels; D000081416:SecA Proteins; D013489:Suppression, Genetic
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D000069816:SEC Translocation Channels; C065493:SecE protein, E coli; C088616:SecG protein, E coli; C057841:SecY protein, E coli; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000081416:SecA Proteins