title: Getting on target: the archaeal signal recognition particle.
abstract: Protein translocation begins with the efficient targeting of secreted and membrane proteins to complexes embedded within the membrane. In Eukarya and Bacteria, this is achieved through the interaction of the signal recognition particle (SRP) with the nascent polypeptide chain. In Archaea, homologs of eukaryal and bacterial SRP-mediated translocation pathway components have been identified. Biochemical analysis has revealed that although the archaeal system incorporates various facets of the eukaryal and bacterial targeting systems, numerous aspects of the archaeal system are unique to this domain of life. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that elucidation of the archaeal SRP pathway will provide answers to basic questions about protein targeting that cannot be obtained from examination of eukaryal or bacterial models. In this review, recent data regarding the molecular composition, functional behavior and evolutionary significance of the archaeal signal recognition particle pathway are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75708-3154, USA.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zwieb
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eichler
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D018271:Signal Recognition Particle / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D018271:Signal Recognition Particle