• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.408-414
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• 1996

The SecY is a central component of the protein export machinery that mediate the translocation of secretory proteins across the plasma membrane, and has been known to be rate-limiting factor of secretion in Escherichia coli. In order to study the extracellular protein secretion in Gram-positive microorganism, we have, constructed strains harboring more than one copy of the gene for SecY. Firstly, the gene, for B. subtilis SecY and its promoter region was subcloned into pDH32 and the chimeric vector was inserted into amyE locus by homologous recombination. Secondly, low copy number vector, pCED6, was also used for subcloning the secY gene and for constructing a strain which harbors several copies of secY. The KH1 cell which harbor two copies of secY on the chromosome excreted more extracellular proteins than the wild type PB2. Moreover, the KH2 cells which harbor several copies of secY in pCED6 vector excreted more extracellular proteins than the KH1 cells. Here, we found that the capacity of protein secretion is partly controlled by the number of secY and it is suggested that SecY has also an important role in protein secretion in B. subtilis, a gram positive microorganism, as like in E. coli. This will promote the use of B. subtilis as a host for the expression of useful foreign gene and excretion of precious proteins.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.678-686
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• 1995

SecY is a central component of the protein export machinery that mediate the translocation of secretory proteins across the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. In order to study the mechanism of protein secretion in Streptomyces, we have done cloning and sequencing of the Streptomyces coelicolor secY gene by using polymerase chain reaction method. The nucleotide sequence of the gene for SecY from S. coelicolor showed over 58% identity to that of M. luteus. The deduced amino acid sequences were highly homologous to those of other known SecY polypeptides, all having the potential to form 10 transmembrane segments, and especially second, fifth, and tenth segments were particularly conserved, sharing greater than 75% identity with W. lute s SecY. We propose that the conserved membrane-spanning segments actively participate in protein export. In B. subtilis and E. coli, the secY gene is a part of the spc operon, is preceded by the gene coding for ribosomal protein L15, and is likety coupled transcriptionally and translationally to the upstream L15 gene. In the other hand, secY gene of S. coelicolor and M. luteus have its own promoter region, are coupled translationally with adk gene and pr sented in adk operon.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2007

The cell wall is essential for the survival and osmotic integrity of fungal cells. It is the framework to which biologically active proteins such as cell adhesion molecules and hydrolytic enzymes are attached or within which they act. Recently it was shown that mutations in ${\alpha}-COP$, a subunit of COPI vesicle, is responsible for the thermo-sensitive osmo-fragile phenotype of fungi, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus nidulans, and suggested that ${\alpha}-COP$ may play a crucial role in translocation of protein(s) of the ${\beta}-1,3-gulcan$ synthase complex and cell wall proteins, thus may contribute to the maintenance of cell wall integrity. In this review, we summarized the relationship between the intra-cellular protein translocation machinery, especially the ${\alpha}-COP$ of COPI vesicle, and cell wall biogenesis in fungi. We also discussed potential use of secretory mutants in basic and applied research of the fungal cell walls.