Archaeal Sec-Dependent Protein Translocation

蛋白质在疏水膜上的转运是所有生物体必不可少的细胞过程。然而，这一过程发生的方式在很大程度上仍然是未知的。古细菌是生命的三个领域之一，被认为是真核生物（动物和植物等）最接近的祖先，了解古细菌的这种运输机制可能是解决一些相关问题的关键，例如确定1)蛋白质定向到膜的机制，以及2)蛋白质易位所需的能量来源。因此，利用生物化学和分子生物学工具，研究人员寻求更好地了解适合这些研究的古菌的蛋白质转运机制。对古生菌中蛋白质运输的生物学探索，这一过程仍然知之甚少，将揭示蛋白质穿过古生菌膜的新过程。然而，它也将为以前鉴定的细菌和真核蛋白易位机制提供新的见解。例如，在真核生物中，分泌抗体对防御病原体至关重要，而一些原核生物分泌毒素，这是其致病性的核心。因此，通过这些研究获得的理解可能使我们能够调节致病化合物的分泌，并优化针对它们的防御机制。此外，这项研究对生物技术的进步也有影响。许多微生物分泌酶来清除细胞外分子。这些酶中有相当一部分在许多工业环境中非常有用，包括化学、制药和农业工业。因此，了解蛋白质输出机制将有助于大规模生产工业部门感兴趣的重组分泌蛋白。

Protein transport across hydrophobic membranes is an essential cellular process in all organisms. However, the way in which this process occurs remains largely uncharacterized. Understanding the mechanism of this transport in the archaea, organisms which comprise one of the three domains of life and are proposed to be the closest ancestors of the eukaryotes (animals and plants, among others), may be key in resolving some of the pertinent issues, such as the identification of 1) the mechanisms by which proteins are directed to the membrane, and 2) the energy sources required for protein translocation. Thus, using biochemical and molecular biological tools, researchers seek a better understanding of the protein translocation mechanism of an archaeon that is amenable to these studies.An exploration of the biology of protein transport in the archaea, organisms in which this process is still poorly understood, will shed light on novel processes by which proteins cross archaeal membranes. However, it will also provide new insights into previously-identified bacterial and eukaryotic protein translocation mechanisms. For example, in eukaryotes, secreted antibodies are essential for the defense against pathogens, while some prokaryotes secrete toxins, which are central to their pathogenicity. Thus, the understanding gained through these studies may allow us to modulate the secretion of pathogenic compounds, as well as optimize defense mechanisms against them. Additionally, this research has implications for advancements in biotechnology. Many microorganisms secrete enzymes to scavenge extracellular molecules. A significant number of these enzymes are extremely useful in many industrial settings, including chemical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries. Thus, understanding protein export mechanisms will help in the large-scale production of recombinant secreted proteins of interest in the industrial sector.