Escherichia coli TatA and TatB Proteins Have N-out, C-in Topology in Intact Cells

Sabrina Koch, Maximilian J. Fritsch, Grant Buchanan, Tracy Palmer (Lead / Corresponding author)

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    44 Citations (Scopus)
    286 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    The twin arginine protein transport (Tat) system translocates folded proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane of pro-karyotes and the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts. In Escherichia coli, TatA, TatB, and TatC are essential components of the machinery. Acomplex of TatB and TatC acts as the substrate receptor, whereas TatA is proposed to form the Tat transport channel. TatA and TatB are related proteins that comprise an N-terminal transmembrane helix and an adjacent amphipathic helix. Previous studies addressing the topological organization of TatA have given conflicting results. In this study, we have addressed the topological arrangement of TatA and TatB in intact cells by labeling of engineered cysteine residues with the membrane-impermeable thiol reagent methoxypolyethylene glycol maleimide. Our results show that TatA and TatB share an N-out, C-in topology, with no evidence that the amphipathic helices of either protein are exposed at the periplasmic side of the membrane. We further show that the N-out, C-in topology of TatA is fixed and is not affected by the absence of other Tat components or by the overproduction of a Tat substrate. These data indicate that topological reorganization of TatA is unlikely to accompany Tat-dependent protein transport.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)14420-14431
    Number of pages12
    JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
    Volume287
    Issue number18
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 27 Apr 2012

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Escherichia coli TatA and TatB Proteins Have N-out, C-in Topology in Intact Cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this