Biogenesis of autotransporter proteins

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The delivery of proteins to their correct cellular location is a fundamental aspect of cell biology. Autotransporters are a family of outer membrane proteins in Gram-negative bacteria, so named because secretion past the outer membrane is mediated by the C-terminal domain of these proteins. Autotransporters function as adhesins, proteases, and proteins that mediate biofilm formation. In addition, the so-called transporter domain can be adapted to display heterologous proteins, including vaccine epitopes and proteins to detoxify heavy-metal contamination. In the model autotransporters that we study, the C-terminal region is predicted to form a beta-barrel through which the N-terminal passenger domain is extruded. Data from our lab suggests that the proteins are maintained in an un-folded state prior to secretion via the transporter. The proteins then fold on the bacterial surface as they emerge from the transporter.