Two-step secretion of the Serratia marcescens extracellular nuclease. Academic Article uri icon

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.

published proceedings

  • J Bacteriol

author list (cited authors)

  • Suh, Y., Jin, S., Ball, T. K., & Benedik, M. J.

citation count

  • 13

complete list of authors

  • Suh, Y||Jin, S||Ball, TK||Benedik, MJ

publication date

  • July 1996