The general secretory (Sec) pathway comprises an essential, ubiquitous and universal export machinery for most proteins that integrate into, or translocate through, the plasma membrane. Sec exportome polypeptides are synthesized as pre-proteins that have cleavable signal peptides fused to the exported mature domains. Recent advances have re-evaluated the interaction networks of pre-proteins with chaperones that are involved in pre-protein targeting from the ribosome to the SecYEG channel and have identified conformational signals as checkpoints for high-fidelity targeting and translocation. The recent structural and mechanistic insights into the channel and its ATPase motor SecA are important steps towards the elucidation of the allosteric crosstalk that mediates secretion. In this Review, we discuss recent biochemical, structural and mechanistic insights into the consecutive steps of the Sec pathway - sorting and targeting, translocation and release - in both co-translational and post-translational modes of export. The architecture and conformational dynamics of the SecYEG channel and its regulation by ribosomes, SecA and pre-proteins are highlighted. Moreover, we present conceptual models of the mechanisms and energetics of the Sec-pathway dependent secretion process in bacteria.

Secretory preproteins contain a mature domain fused to a signal peptide that targets the protein to the translocase, which mediates secretion. In this study, the authors show that the mature domains bear independent targeting signals (MTS) that consist of multiple, degenerate, interchangeable, linear or 3D hydrophobic stretches that are essential for proper secretion.

Type III secretion (T3S), a protein export pathway common to Gram-negative pathogens, comprises a trans-envelope syringe, the injectisome, with a cytoplasm-facing translocase channel. Exported substrates are chaperone-delivered to the translocase, EscV in enteropathogenic and cross it in strict hierarchical manner, for example, first "translocators", then "effectors". We dissected T3S substrate targeting and hierarchical switching by reconstituting them using inverted inner membrane vesicles. EscV recruits and conformationally activates the tightly membrane-associated pseudo-effector SepL and its chaperone SepD. This renders SepL a high-affinity receptor for translocator/chaperone pairs, recognizing specific chaperone signals. In a second, SepD-coupled step, translocators docked on SepL become secreted. During translocator secretion, SepL/SepD suppress effector/chaperone binding to EscV and prevent premature effector secretion. Disengagement of the SepL/SepD switch directs EscV to dedicated effector export. These findings advance molecular understanding of T3S and reveal a novel mechanism for hierarchical trafficking regulation in protein secretion channels.

Secretory preproteins carry signal peptides fused amino-terminally to mature domains. They are post-translationally targeted to cross the plasma membrane in non-folded states with the help of translocases, and fold only at their final destinations. The mechanism of this process of postponed folding is unknown, but is generally attributed to signal peptides and chaperones. We herein demonstrate that, during targeting, most mature domains maintain loosely packed folding intermediates. These largely soluble states are signal peptide independent and essential for translocase recognition. These intermediates are promoted by mature domain features: residue composition, elevated disorder, and reduced hydrophobicity. Consequently, a mature domain folds slower than its cytoplasmic structural homolog. Some mature domains could not evolve stable, loose intermediates, and hence depend on signal peptides for slow folding to the detriment of solubility. These unique features of secretory proteins impact our understanding of protein trafficking, folding, and aggregation, and thus place them in a distinct class.

While the entire proteome is synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes, almost half associates with, localizes in or crosses the bacterial cell envelope. In Escherichia coli a variety of mechanisms are important for taking these polypeptides into or across the plasma membrane, maintaining them in soluble form, trafficking them to their correct cell envelope locations and then folding them into the right structures. The fidelity of these processes must be maintained under various environmental conditions including during stress; if this fails, proteases are called in to degrade mislocalized or aggregated proteins. Various soluble, diffusible chaperones (acting as holdases, foldases or pilotins) and folding catalysts are also utilized to restore proteostasis. These responses can be general, dealing with multiple polypeptides, with functional overlaps and operating within redundant networks. Other chaperones are specialized factors, dealing only with a few exported proteins. Several complex machineries have evolved to deal with binding to, integration in and crossing of the outer membrane. This complex protein network is responsible for fundamental cellular processes such as cell wall biogenesis; cell division; the export, uptake and degradation of molecules; and resistance against exogenous toxic factors. The underlying processes, contributing to our fundamental understanding of proteostasis, are a treasure trove for the development of novel antibiotics, biopharmaceuticals and vaccines.

Cellular proteomes are distributed in multiple compartments: on DNA, ribosomes, on and inside membranes, or they become secreted. Structural properties that allow polypeptides to occupy subcellular niches, particularly to after crossing membranes, remain unclear. We compared intrinsic and extrinsic features in cytoplasmic and secreted polypeptides of the Escherichia coli K-12 proteome. Structural features between the cytoplasmome and secretome are sharply distinct, such that a signal peptide-agnostic machine learning tool distinguishes cytoplasmic from secreted proteins with 95.5% success. Cytoplasmic polypeptides are enriched in aliphatic, aromatic, charged and hydrophobic residues, unique folds and higher early folding propensities. Secretory polypeptides are enriched in polar/small amino acids, β folds, have higher backbone dynamics, higher disorder and contact order and are more often intrinsically disordered. These non-random distributions and experimental evidence imply that evolutionary pressure selected enhanced secretome flexibility, slow folding and looser structures, placing the secretome in a distinct protein class. These adaptations protect the secretome from premature folding during its cytoplasmic transit, optimize its lipid bilayer crossing and allowed it to acquire cell envelope specific chemistries. The latter may favor promiscuous multi-ligand binding, sensing of stress and cell envelope structure changes. In conclusion, enhanced flexibility, slow folding, looser structures and unique folds differentiate the secretome from the cytoplasmome. These findings have wide implications on the structural diversity and evolution of modern proteomes and the protein folding problem.

Most bacterial secretory proteins destined beyond the plasma membrane are secreted post-translationally by the Sec translocase. In the first step of translocation, preproteins are targeted for binding to their 2-site receptor SecA, the peripheral ATPase subunit of the translocase. We now reveal that secretory preproteins use a dual-key mechanism to bridge the signal peptide and mature domain receptor sites and cooperatively enhance their affinities. Docking of targeting-competent mature domains requires that their extensive disorder is finely tuned. This is achieved through amino-terminal mature domain regions acting as conformational rheostats. By being linked to the rheostats, signal peptides regulate long-range preprotein disorder. Concomitant conformational changes in SecA sterically adapt its two receptor sites to optimally recognize hundreds of dissimilar preproteins. This novel intramolecular conformational crosstalk in the preprotein chains and the dynamic interaction with their receptor are mechanistically coupled to preprotein engagement in the translocase and essential for secretion.

Prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP) is conserved in many organisms across life. It is involved in numerous processes including brain function and neuropathology, that require more than its strict proteolytic role. It consists of a seven-bladed β-propeller juxtaposed to a catalytic α/β-hydrolase domain. The conformational dynamics of PREP involved in domain motions and the gating mechanism that allows substrate accessibility remain elusive. Here we used Hydrogen Deuterium eXchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) to derive the first near-residue resolution analysis of global PREP dynamics in the presence or absence of inhibitor bound in the active site. Clear roles are revealed for parts that would be critical for the activation mechanism. In the free state, the inter-domain interface is loose, providing access to the catalytic site. Inhibitor binding “locks” the two domains together exploiting prominent interactions between the loop of the first β-propeller blade and its proximal helix from the α/β-hydrolase domain. Loop A, thought to drive gating, is partially stabilized but remains flexible and dynamic. These findings provide a conformational guide for further dissection of the gating mechanism of PREP, that would impact drug development. Moreover, they offer a structural framework against which to study proteolysis-independent interactions with disordered proteins like α-synuclein involved in neurodegenerative disease.