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. 1996 Jul;178(13):3771–3778. doi: 10.1128/jb.178.13.3771-3778.1996

Two-step secretion of the Serratia marcescens extracellular nuclease.

Y Suh 1, S Jin 1, T K Ball 1, M J Benedik 1
PMCID: PMC232635  PMID: 8682779

Abstract

The extracellular nuclease of Serratia marcescens is one of a wide variety of enzymes secreted into the growth medium. Its appearance occurs late in the growth of a culture, and its gene, nucA, is transcriptionally regulated in a complex fashion by growth phase and other factors. Pulse-labeling studies reveal that extracellular secretion of nuclease occurs as a two-step process. In the first step, nuclease is rapidly translocated across the cytoplasmic membrane into the periplasm, where it accumulates as a mature active nuclease. A precursor protein, nuclease still carrying its signal sequence, was detected in the presence of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone or sodium azide, suggesting that this initial translocation and signal processing step involves an energy-dependent and Sec-dependent pathway in S. marcescens. The second step of secretion across the outer membrane is a slow process requiring between 30 to 120 min, depending on growth conditions.

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Selected References

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