title: Type VII secretion--mycobacteria show the way.
abstract: Recent evidence shows that mycobacteria have developed novel and specialized secretion systems for the transport of extracellular proteins across their hydrophobic, and highly impermeable, cell wall. Strikingly, mycobacterial genomes encode up to five of these transport systems. Two of these systems, ESX-1 and ESX-5, are involved in virulence - they both affect the cell-to-cell migration of pathogenic mycobacteria. Here, we discuss this novel secretion pathway and consider variants that are present in various Gram-positive bacteria. Given the unique composition of this secretion system, and its general importance, we propose that, in line with the accepted nomenclature, it should be called type VII secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, VU medical centre, Amsterdam 1081BT, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Abdallah M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.forename: Nicolaas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gey van Pittius
authors.forename: Patricia A DiGiuseppe
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Champion
authors.forename: Jeffery
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Joen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luirink
authors.forename: Christina M J E
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vandenbroucke-Grauls
authors.forename: Ben J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Appelmelk
authors.forename: Wilbert
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bitter
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport; D000069816:SEC Translocation Channels; D000081416:SecA Proteins
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D000069816:SEC Translocation Channels; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000081416:SecA Proteins