Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1989 Sep;8(9):2703–2709. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb08411.x

Three pure chaperone proteins of Escherichia coli--SecB, trigger factor and GroEL--form soluble complexes with precursor proteins in vitro.

S Lecker 1, R Lill 1, T Ziegelhoffer 1, C Georgopoulos 1, P J Bassford Jr 1, C A Kumamoto 1, W Wickner 1
PMCID: PMC401277  PMID: 2531087

Abstract

Diverse studies of three cytoplasmic proteins of Escherichia coli--SecB, trigger factor and GroEL--have suggested that they can maintain precursor proteins in a conformation which is competent for membrane translocation. These proteins have been termed 'chaperones'. Using purified chaperone proteins and precursor protein substrates, we find that each of these chaperones can stabilize proOmpA for translocation and for the translocation-ATPase. These chaperones bind to proOmpA to form isolable complexes. SecB and GroEL will also form complexes with another exported protein, prePhoE. In contrast, these chaperones do not form stable complexes with a variety of soluble proteins such as SecA protein, bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin or ribonuclease A. While chaperones may transiently interact with soluble proteins to catalyze their folding, the stable interaction between chaperones and presecretory proteins, maintaining an open conformation which is essential for translocation, may commit these proteins to the secretion pathway.

Full text

PDF
2703

Images in this article

2704Image
on p.2704
2704Image
on p.2704
2706Image
on p.2706
2707Image
on p.2707
2707Image
on p.2707

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bochkareva E. S., Lissin N. M., Girshovich A. S. Transient association of newly synthesized unfolded proteins with the heat-shock GroEL protein. Nature. 1988 Nov 17;336(6196):254–257. doi: 10.1038/336254a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bradford M. M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248–254. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cabelli R. J., Chen L., Tai P. C., Oliver D. B. SecA protein is required for secretory protein translocation into E. coli membrane vesicles. Cell. 1988 Nov 18;55(4):683–692. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90227-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chang C. N., Blobel G., Model P. Detection of prokaryotic signal peptidase in an Escherichia coli membrane fraction: endoproteolytic cleavage of nascent f1 pre-coat protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jan;75(1):361–365. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.1.361. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chen L., Tai P. C. ATP is essential for protein translocation into Escherichia coli membrane vesicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Jul;82(13):4384–4388. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.13.4384. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chen R., Schmidmayr W., Krämer C., Chen-Schmeisser U., Henning U. Primary structure of major outer membrane protein II (ompA protein) of Escherichia coli K-12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Aug;77(8):4592–4596. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.8.4592. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chirico W. J., Waters M. G., Blobel G. 70K heat shock related proteins stimulate protein translocation into microsomes. Nature. 1988 Apr 28;332(6167):805–810. doi: 10.1038/332805a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Collier D. N., Bankaitis V. A., Weiss J. B., Bassford P. J., Jr The antifolding activity of SecB promotes the export of the E. coli maltose-binding protein. Cell. 1988 Apr 22;53(2):273–283. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90389-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Crooke E., Brundage L., Rice M., Wickner W. ProOmpA spontaneously folds in a membrane assembly competent state which trigger factor stabilizes. EMBO J. 1988 Jun;7(6):1831–1835. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03015.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Crooke E., Guthrie B., Lecker S., Lill R., Wickner W. ProOmpA is stabilized for membrane translocation by either purified E. coli trigger factor or canine signal recognition particle. Cell. 1988 Sep 23;54(7):1003–1011. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90115-8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Crooke E., Wickner W. Trigger factor: a soluble protein that folds pro-OmpA into a membrane-assembly-competent form. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Aug;84(15):5216–5220. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.15.5216. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Cunningham K., Lill R., Crooke E., Rice M., Moore K., Wickner W., Oliver D. SecA protein, a peripheral protein of the Escherichia coli plasma membrane, is essential for the functional binding and translocation of proOmpA. EMBO J. 1989 Mar;8(3):955–959. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb03457.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Deshaies R. J., Koch B. D., Werner-Washburne M., Craig E. A., Schekman R. A subfamily of stress proteins facilitates translocation of secretory and mitochondrial precursor polypeptides. Nature. 1988 Apr 28;332(6167):800–805. doi: 10.1038/332800a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ellis J. Proteins as molecular chaperones. 1987 Jul 30-Aug 5Nature. 328(6129):378–379. doi: 10.1038/328378a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Emr S. D., Hanley-Way S., Silhavy T. J. Suppressor mutations that restore export of a protein with a defective signal sequence. Cell. 1981 Jan;23(1):79–88. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90272-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Fayet O., Louarn J. M., Georgopoulos C. Suppression of the Escherichia coli dnaA46 mutation by amplification of the groES and groEL genes. Mol Gen Genet. 1986 Mar;202(3):435–445. doi: 10.1007/BF00333274. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Gannon P. M., Li P., Kumamoto C. A. The mature portion of Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) determines the dependence of MBP on SecB for export. J Bacteriol. 1989 Feb;171(2):813–818. doi: 10.1128/jb.171.2.813-818.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Geller B. L., Movva N. R., Wickner W. Both ATP and the electrochemical potential are required for optimal assembly of pro-OmpA into Escherichia coli inner membrane vesicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jun;83(12):4219–4222. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.12.4219. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Georgopoulos C. P., Hohn B. Identification of a host protein necessary for bacteriophage morphogenesis (the groE gene product). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jan;75(1):131–135. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.1.131. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Gierasch L. M. Signal sequences. Biochemistry. 1989 Feb 7;28(3):923–930. doi: 10.1021/bi00429a001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Goloubinoff P., Gatenby A. A., Lorimer G. H. GroE heat-shock proteins promote assembly of foreign prokaryotic ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oligomers in Escherichia coli. Nature. 1989 Jan 5;337(6202):44–47. doi: 10.1038/337044a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Hemmingsen S. M., Woolford C., van der Vies S. M., Tilly K., Dennis D. T., Georgopoulos C. P., Hendrix R. W., Ellis R. J. Homologous plant and bacterial proteins chaperone oligomeric protein assembly. Nature. 1988 May 26;333(6171):330–334. doi: 10.1038/333330a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Hendrix R. W. Purification and properties of groE, a host protein involved in bacteriophage assembly. J Mol Biol. 1979 Apr 15;129(3):375–392. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(79)90502-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Hohn T., Hohn B., Engel A., Wurtz M., Smith P. R. Isolation and characterization of the host protein groE involved in bacteriophage lambda assembly. J Mol Biol. 1979 Apr 15;129(3):359–373. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(79)90501-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Ito K., Bassford P. J., Jr, Beckwith J. Protein localization in E. coli: is there a common step in the secretion of periplasmic and outer-membrane proteins? Cell. 1981 Jun;24(3):707–717. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90097-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Ito K., Date T., Wickner W. Synthesis, assembly into the cytoplasmic membrane, and proteolytic processing of the precursor of coliphage M13 coat protein. J Biol Chem. 1980 Mar 10;255(5):2123–2130. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Krieg U. C., Walter P., Johnson A. E. Photocrosslinking of the signal sequence of nascent preprolactin to the 54-kilodalton polypeptide of the signal recognition particle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Nov;83(22):8604–8608. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.22.8604. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Kumamoto C. A., Beckwith J. Evidence for specificity at an early step in protein export in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1985 Jul;163(1):267–274. doi: 10.1128/jb.163.1.267-274.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Kumamoto C. A., Beckwith J. Mutations in a new gene, secB, cause defective protein localization in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1983 Apr;154(1):253–260. doi: 10.1128/jb.154.1.253-260.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Kumamoto C. A., Gannon P. M. Effects of Escherichia coli secB mutations on pre-maltose binding protein conformation and export kinetics. J Biol Chem. 1988 Aug 15;263(23):11554–11558. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Kumamoto C. A., Nault A. K. Characterization of the Escherichia coli protein-export gene secB. Gene. 1989 Jan 30;75(1):167–175. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(89)90393-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Lanzetta P. A., Alvarez L. J., Reinach P. S., Candia O. A. An improved assay for nanomole amounts of inorganic phosphate. Anal Biochem. 1979 Nov 15;100(1):95–97. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(79)90115-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Lill R., Crooke E., Guthrie B., Wickner W. The "trigger factor cycle" includes ribosomes, presecretory proteins, and the plasma membrane. Cell. 1988 Sep 23;54(7):1013–1018. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90116-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Lill R., Cunningham K., Brundage L. A., Ito K., Oliver D., Wickner W. SecA protein hydrolyzes ATP and is an essential component of the protein translocation ATPase of Escherichia coli. EMBO J. 1989 Mar;8(3):961–966. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb03458.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Marchalonis J. J. An enzymic method for the trace iodination of immunoglobulins and other proteins. Biochem J. 1969 Jun;113(2):299–305. doi: 10.1042/bj1130299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Meyer D. I. Preprotein conformation: the year's major theme in translocation studies. Trends Biochem Sci. 1988 Dec;13(12):471–474. doi: 10.1016/0968-0004(88)90233-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Oliver D. B., Beckwith J. E. coli mutant pleiotropically defective in the export of secreted proteins. Cell. 1981 Sep;25(3):765–772. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90184-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Park S., Liu G., Topping T. B., Cover W. H., Randall L. L. Modulation of folding pathways of exported proteins by the leader sequence. Science. 1988 Feb 26;239(4843):1033–1035. doi: 10.1126/science.3278378. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Pelham H. R. Speculations on the functions of the major heat shock and glucose-regulated proteins. Cell. 1986 Sep 26;46(7):959–961. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90693-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Perara E., Rothman R. E., Lingappa V. R. Uncoupling translocation from translation: implications for transport of proteins across membranes. Science. 1986 Apr 18;232(4748):348–352. doi: 10.1126/science.3961485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Randall L. L., Hardy S. J. Correlation of competence for export with lack of tertiary structure of the mature species: a study in vivo of maltose-binding protein in E. coli. Cell. 1986 Sep 12;46(6):921–928. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90074-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Randall L. L., Hardy S. J. Unity in function in the absence of consensus in sequence: role of leader peptides in export. Science. 1989 Mar 3;243(4895):1156–1159. doi: 10.1126/science.2646712. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Randall L. L. Translocation of domains of nascent periplasmic proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane is independent of elongation. Cell. 1983 May;33(1):231–240. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90352-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Rothman J. E., Kornberg R. D. Cell biology. An unfolding story of protein translocation. Nature. 1986 Jul 17;322(6076):209–210. doi: 10.1038/322209a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Weiss J. B., Ray P. H., Bassford P. J., Jr Purified secB protein of Escherichia coli retards folding and promotes membrane translocation of the maltose-binding protein in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Dec;85(23):8978–8982. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.23.8978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Wickner W., Brutlag D., Schekman R., Kornberg A. RNA synthesis initiates in vitro conversion of M13 DNA to its replicative form. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Apr;69(4):965–969. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.4.965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Wiedmann M., Kurzchalia T. V., Hartmann E., Rapoport T. A. A signal sequence receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. 1987 Aug 27-Sep 2Nature. 328(6133):830–833. doi: 10.1038/328830a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Wolfe P. B., Wickner W. Bacterial leader peptidase, a membrane protein without a leader peptide, uses the same export pathway as pre-secretory proteins. Cell. 1984 Apr;36(4):1067–1072. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90056-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Zimmermann R., Sagstetter M., Lewis M. J., Pelham H. R. Seventy-kilodalton heat shock proteins and an additional component from reticulocyte lysate stimulate import of M13 procoat protein into microsomes. EMBO J. 1988 Sep;7(9):2875–2880. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03144.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES