Biomaterial Database

Secretion, processing and activation of bacterial extracellular proteases. 1989

C Wandersman

Unité de Génétique Moléculaire, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.

Many different bacteria secrete proteases into the culture medium. Extracellular proteases produced by Gram-positive bacteria are secreted by a signal-peptide-dependent pathway and have a propeptide located between the signal peptide and the mature protein. Many extracellular proteases synthesized by Gram-negative bacteria are also produced as precursors with a signal peptide. However, at least two species of Gram-negative bacteria secrete one or more proteases via a novel signal-peptide-independent route. Most proteases secreted by Gram-negative bacteria also have a propeptide whose length and location vary according to the protease. Specific features of protease secretion pathways and the mechanisms of protease activation are discussed with particular reference to some of the best-characterized extracellular proteases produced by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010447	Peptide Hydrolases	Hydrolases that specifically cleave the peptide bonds found in PROTEINS and PEPTIDES. Examples of sub-subclasses for this group include EXOPEPTIDASES and ENDOPEPTIDASES.	Peptidase,Peptidases,Peptide Hydrolase,Protease,Proteases,Proteinase,Proteinases,Proteolytic Enzyme,Proteolytic Enzymes,Esteroproteases,Enzyme, Proteolytic,Hydrolase, Peptide
D004789	Enzyme Activation	Conversion of an inactive form of an enzyme to one possessing metabolic activity. It includes 1, activation by ions (activators); 2, activation by cofactors (coenzymes); and 3, conversion of an enzyme precursor (proenzyme or zymogen) to an active enzyme.	Activation, Enzyme,Activations, Enzyme,Enzyme Activations
D005109	Extracellular Matrix	A meshwork-like substance found within the extracellular space and in association with the basement membrane of the cell surface. It promotes cellular proliferation and provides a supporting structure to which cells or cell lysates in culture dishes adhere.	Matrix, Extracellular,Extracellular Matrices,Matrices, Extracellular
D001419	Bacteria	One of the three domains of life (the others being Eukarya and ARCHAEA), also called Eubacteria. They are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms which generally possess rigid cell walls, multiply by cell division, and exhibit three principal forms: round or coccal, rodlike or bacillary, and spiral or spirochetal. Bacteria can be classified by their response to OXYGEN: aerobic, anaerobic, or facultatively anaerobic; by the mode by which they obtain their energy: chemotrophy (via chemical reaction) or PHOTOTROPHY (via light reaction); for chemotrophs by their source of chemical energy: CHEMOLITHOTROPHY (from inorganic compounds) or chemoorganotrophy (from organic compounds); and by their source for CARBON; NITROGEN; etc.; HETEROTROPHY (from organic sources) or AUTOTROPHY (from CARBON DIOXIDE). They can also be classified by whether or not they stain (based on the structure of their CELL WALLS) with CRYSTAL VIOLET dye: gram-negative or gram-positive.	Eubacteria
D021382	Protein Sorting Signals	Amino acid sequences found in transported proteins that selectively guide the distribution of the proteins to specific cellular compartments.	Leader Signal Peptides,Leader Peptide,Leader Sequences, Peptide,Peptide Leader Sequences,Peptide Signal Sequences,Signal Peptide,Signal Peptides,Signal Sequence, Peptide,Signal Sequences,Signal Sequences, Peptide,Leader Peptides,Leader Sequence, Peptide,Leader Signal Peptide,Peptide Leader Sequence,Peptide Signal Sequence,Peptide, Leader,Peptide, Leader Signal,Peptide, Signal,Peptides, Leader,Peptides, Leader Signal,Peptides, Signal,Protein Sorting Signal,Sequence, Peptide Leader,Sequence, Peptide Signal,Sequence, Signal,Sequences, Peptide Leader,Sequences, Peptide Signal,Sequences, Signal,Signal Peptide, Leader,Signal Peptides, Leader,Signal Sequence,Signal, Protein Sorting,Signals, Protein Sorting,Sorting Signal, Protein,Sorting Signals, Protein