Question

Explain how a type I secretion system works. Are the secreted proteins ever in periplasmic space?

Answer 1

Type I Secretion System (T1SS)

Almost all pathogenic bacteria contain T1SS. Sec-independent type I pathway goverens the secretion of some exoenzymes and toxins. The proteases produced by E. chrysanthemi, is governed by the type I secretory apparatus comprising of three accessory proteins (Prt D, E, and F).

In gram-negative bacteria, type I secretion is carried out by a translocator made up of three proteins that span the cell envelope. One of these proteins is a specific outer membrane protein (OMP) and the other two are cytoplasmic membrane proteins: an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and the so-called membrane fusion or adaptor protein (MFP). Type I secretion is sec-independent and bypasses the periplasm. This widespread pathway allows the secretion of proteins of diverse sizes and functions via a C-terminal uncleaved secretion signal. This C-terminal secretion signal specifically recognizes the ABC protein, triggering the assembly of the functional trans-envelope complex. This report will mainly deal will recent data concerning the structure and assembly of the secretion complex as well as the effects and role of substrate folding on secretion by this pathway.

Gram-negative bacteria are surrounded by two membrane bilayers separated by a space termed the periplasm. The periplasm is a multipurpose compartment separate from the cytoplasm whose distinct reducing environment allows more efficient and diverse mechanisms of protein oxidation, folding, and quality control. The periplasm also contains structural elements and important environmental sensing modules, and it allows complex nanomachines to span the cell envelope. Recent work indicates that the size or intermembrane distance of the periplasm is controlled by periplasmic lipoproteins that anchor the outer membrane to the periplasmic peptidoglycan polymer. This periplasm intermembrane distance is critical for sensing outer membrane damage and dictates length of the flagellar periplasmic rotor, which controls motility.