Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 1997 Feb 1;155(3):189-97.
doi: 10.1007/s002329900171.

Protein translocation across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum

B M Wilkinson  1 , M Regnacq, C J Stirling
Affiliations
Review

Protein translocation across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum

B M Wilkinson et al. J Membr Biol. .

Abstract

Eukaryotic cells are characterized by the existence of membrane-bound subcellular compartments which perform a variety of specialized functions. Proteins destined for these compartments begin their synthesis in the cytosol and must be subsequently targeted to their functional compartment by specific signal sequences present in the newly synthesized polypeptide chain. The translocation of preproteins across biological membranes is a fundamental process of intracellular trafficking and organelle biogenesis. Entry into the secretory pathway occurs by translocation of proteins into or across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This process involves two distinct steps which are dependent on the orchestrated action of several proteins. The initial step of targeting involves recognition of the signal sequence and delivery of the protein precursor to the ER in a translocation competent conformation. The subsequent translocation event is characterized by interaction of the preprotein with the translocation channel followed by unidirectional movement across the lipid bilayer of the ER membrane into the lumenal space. The study of the mechanism of the translocation process is one of the most intriguing and rapidly advancing areas in cell biology. Here we review recent findings in both the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammals concerning the mechanisms of the translocation step and discuss the roles of the proteins implicated in this process.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources