Identification of two Mycobacterium smegmatis lipoproteins exported by a SecA2-dependent pathway

J Bacteriol. 2007 Jul;189(14):5090-100. doi: 10.1128/JB.00163-07. Epub 2007 May 11.

Abstract

The SecA2 protein is part of a specialized protein export system of mycobacteria. We set out to identify proteins exported to the bacterial cell envelope by the mycobacterial SecA2 system. By comparing the protein profiles of cell wall and membrane fractions from wild-type and DeltasecA2 mutant Mycobacterium smegmatis, we identified the Msmeg1712 and Msmeg1704 proteins as SecA2-dependent cell envelope proteins. These are the first endogenous M. smegmatis proteins identified as dependent on SecA2 for export. Both proteins are homologous to periplasmic sugar-binding proteins of other bacteria, and both contain functional amino-terminal signal sequences with lipobox motifs. These two proteins appeared to be genuine lipoproteins as shown by Triton X-114 fractionation and sensitivity to globomycin, an inhibitor of lipoprotein signal peptidase. The role of SecA2 in the export of these proteins was specific; not all mycobacterial lipoproteins required SecA2 for efficient localization or processing. Finally, Msmeg1704 was recognized by the SecA2 pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as indicated by the appearance of an export intermediate when the protein was expressed in a DeltasecA2 mutant of M. tuberculosis. Taken together, these results indicate that a select subset of envelope proteins containing amino-terminal signal sequences can be substrates of the mycobacterial SecA2 pathway and that some determinants for SecA2-dependent export are conserved between M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / genetics
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / metabolism*
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / physiology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Proteins / physiology
  • Biological Transport / drug effects
  • Biological Transport / physiology
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Glucose / pharmacology
  • Glycerol / pharmacology
  • Immunoblotting
  • Lipoproteins / genetics
  • Lipoproteins / metabolism*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / physiology
  • Mutation
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / drug effects
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / metabolism*
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Lipoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Peptides
  • globomycin
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases
  • SecA2 protein, Mycobacterium
  • Glucose
  • Glycerol