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. 1991 Mar 15;88(6):2471–2475. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.6.2471

Proton transfer is rate-limiting for translocation of precursor proteins by the Escherichia coli translocase.

A J Driessen 1, W Wickner 1
PMCID: PMC51254  PMID: 1826054

Abstract

The protonmotive force stimulates translocation in vivo, in crude in vitro reactions, and in a purified, reconstituted reaction. Translocation activity is a function of the pH at the inner face of the membrane. Both the transmembrane pH gradient and the transmembrane electrical potential stimulate translocation. A late-stage translocation intermediate of the proOmpA preprotein completes its translocation in the absence of ATP when a protonmotive force is imposed. This completion of translocation is retarded by a factor of greater than 3 in deuterium oxide relative to water, demonstrating that translocation involves proton-transfer reactions in rate-limiting steps.

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Selected References

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