PROSITE documentation PDOC00682

Bacterial type II secretion system protein F signature

A number of bacterial proteins, some of which are involved in a general secretion pathway (GSP) for the export of proteins (also called the type II pathway) [1], have been found to be evolutionary related. These proteins are listed below.

• The 'F' protein from the GSP operon of: Aeromonas (gene exeF); Erwinia (gene outF); Escherichia coli (gene hofF); Klebsiella pneumoniae (gene pulF); Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gene xcpS); Vibrio cholerae (gene epsF) and Xanthomonas campestris (gene xpsF).
• Bacillus subtilis comG operon protein 2 which is required for the uptake of DNA by competent Bacillus subtilis cells.
• Aeromonas hydrophila tapC, involved in type IV pilus assembly.
• Pseudomonas protein pilC, which is essential for the formation of the pili.
• Vibrio cholerae protein tcpE, which is involved in the biosynthesis of the tcp pilus.
• Escherichia coli protein hofC (hopC).

These are proteins of about 400 amino acids that are highly hydrophobic and which are thought to be integral protein of the inner membrane. As a signature pattern we selected a conserved region in the central part of these proteins.