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Cloning and molecular characterization of the secY genes from Bacillus licheniformis and Staphylococcus carnosus: comparative analysis of nine members of the SecY family

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Summary

SecY is a central component of the export machinery that mediates the translocation of secretory proteins across the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. We have cloned and sequenced the secY genes from Bacillus licheniformis and Staphylococcus carnosus. The deduced amino acid sequences are highly homologous to those of other known SecY polypeptides, all having the potential to form 10 transmembrane segments. Comparative analysis of 9 SecY polypeptides, derived from different bacteria, revealed that 14 amino acid positions (2,7%) are identical in all SecY proteins and 89 (16.9%) show conservative changes. Clusters of conserved amino acid residues were found in 4 of the 10 transmembrane segments and 2 of the 6 cytoplasmic domains. It is suggested that the conserved regions might be involved in the translocation activity of SecY or might be required for the correct interaction of SecY with other components of the secretion apparatus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Biotechnologie 1, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Postfach 1913, W-5170, Jülich, Germany

    Silvia Tschauder & Roland Freudl

  2. Department of Microbiology, Center of Biological Sciences, Kerklaan 30, NL-9751 NN, Haren, The Netherlands

    Arnold J. M. Driessen

Authors
  1. Silvia Tschauder
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  2. Arnold J. M. Driessen
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  3. Roland Freudl
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Communicated by C.P. Hollenberg

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Tschauder, S., Driessen, A.J.M. & Freudl, R. Cloning and molecular characterization of the secY genes from Bacillus licheniformis and Staphylococcus carnosus: comparative analysis of nine members of the SecY family. Molec. Gen. Genet. 235, 147–152 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00286192

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00286192

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