Export and secretion of proteins by bacteria

Abstract

A wide variety of proteins are exported or secreted by a range of morphologically distinct bacteria. The processes of protein export are most extensively characterised in Escherichia coli, where recent advances have been made in the identification of genes involved in forming the export machinery. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria secrete proteins into the medium. Gram-negative bacteria have adopted a variety of approaches in order to overcome the additional permeability of the outer membrane.