Many substrates and functions of type II secretion: lessons learned from Legionella pneumophila.
Type II secretion is one of six systems that exist in Gram-negative bacteria for the purpose of secreting proteins into the extracellular milieu and/or into host cells. This article will review the various recent studies of Legionella pneumophila that have increased our appreciation of the numbers, types and novelties of proteins that can be secreted via the type II system, as well as the many ways in which type II secretion can promote bacterial physiology, growth, ecology, intracellular infection and virulence. In this context, type II secretion represents a potentially important target for industrial and biomedical applications.
Cianciotto
Nicholas P
NP
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, 320 East Superior St., Chicago, IL 60611, USA. n-cianciotto@northwestern.edu
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D021381:Protein Transport; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors