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The Sec61 complex is the proteinaceous pore through which one-third of mammalian polypeptides access the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during their translocation across, or insertion into, the ER membrane. N-terminal ER signal peptides mediate polypeptide targeting to, and opening of, the Sec61 channel in a substrate-specific manner. Here, we discuss the recently defined features of ER signal peptides which necessitate the use of the accessory components Sec62 and Sec63 during the Sec61-mediated cotranslational translocation of newly synthesized secretory proteins., (© 2020 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

The signal sequences that target newly synthesized proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum are highly variable; however, the functional significance of this diversity has remained obscure. In this issue, Kang et al. (2006) report that variability in signal sequences allows the cell to selectively regulate the translocation of proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum in a substrate-specific manner.

SRP-dependent and SRP-independent targeting routes deliver precursor proteins to the ER membrane translocon. These precursors are translocated into (for membrane proteins) and across (for secretory protein) the ER membrane via aqueous channels composed of oligomers of the Sec61 complex. Both ends of the ER translocon are 'gated' and the opening and closing of these gates are closely regulated. The lateral exit of hydrophobic polypeptide regions into the phospholipid bilayer also appears to be a carefully controlled process. Accessory components are transiently associated with active ER translocation sites and modify the nascent polypeptide as it appears on the luminal side of the membrane.

A chemically charged amber suppressor tRNA was used to introduce the photoactivatable amino acid (Tmd)Phe at a selected position within the signal sequence of the secretory protein preprolactin. This allowed the interactions of the NH2-terminal, the central, and the COOH-terminal regions of the signal sequence to be investigated during insertion into the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We found that different regions of the nascent chains were photocross-linked to different ER proteins. The TRAM protein (translocating chain-associating membrane protein) contacts the NH2-terminal region of the signal sequence while the mammalian Sec61p contacts the hydrophobic core of the signal sequence and regions COOH-terminal of this. These results suggest that the ER translocation complex is composed of heterologous protein subunits which contact distinct regions of nascent polypeptides during their membrane insertion.

Hydrophobic signal-sequences direct the transfer of secretory proteins across the inner membrane of prokaryotes and the endoplasmic reticulum membranes of eukaryotes. In mammalian cells, signal-sequences are recognized by the 54K protein (M(r) 54,000) of the signal recognition particle (SRP) which is believed to hold the nascent chain in a translocation-competent conformation until it contacts the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The SRP consists of a 7S RNA and six different polypeptides. The 7S RNA and the 54K signal-sequence-binding protein (SRP54) of mammalian SRP exhibit strong sequence similarity to the 4.5S RNA and P48 protein (Ffh) of Escherichia coli which form a ribonucleoprotein particle. Depletion of 4.5S RNA or overproduction of P48 causes the accumulation of the beta-lactamase precursor, although not of other secretory proteins. Whether 4.5S RNA and P48 are part of an SRP-like complex with a role in protein export is controversial. Here we show that the P48/4.5S RNA ribonucleoprotein complex interacts specifically with the signal sequence of a nascent secretory protein and therefore is a signal recognition particle.

The signal recognition particle (SRP) binds to signal sequences when they emerge from a translating ribosome and targets the complex of ribosome, nascent chain and SRP to the membrane of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) allowing the co-translational translocation of the nascent chain. By photo-crosslinking it has been shown that the signal sequence of preprolactin (PPL) only interacts with the methionine-rich (M) domain of the 54 kDa protein subunit (SRP54) of SRP. Here we show that (i) a signal-anchor sequence is likewise crosslinked only to the methionine-rich domain of SRP54, (ii) free SRP54 can interact with signal sequences independently of the other components of SRP, (iii) its M domain suffices to perform this function, and (iv) an essentially intact M domain is required for signal sequence recognition. Alkylation of the N+G domain in intact SRP54 with N-ethyl maleimide (NEM), but not after cleavage with V8 protease, prevents the binding of a signal sequence to the M domain. This suggests a proximity between the N+G and M domains of SRP54 and raises the possibility that the role of the N+G domain may be to regulate the binding and/or the release of signal sequences.

Proteins which are inserted and anchored in the membrane of the ER by an uncleaved signal-anchor sequence can assume two final orientations. Type I signal-anchor proteins translocate the NH2 terminus across the membrane while type II signal-anchor proteins translocate the COOH terminus. We investigated the requirements for cytosolic protein components and nucleotides for the membrane targeting and insertion of single-spanning type I signal-anchor proteins. Besides the ribosome, signal recognition particle (SRP), GTP, and rough microsomes (RMs) no other components were found to be required. The GTP analogue GMPPNP could substitute for GTP in supporting the membrane insertion of IMC-CAT. By using a photocrosslinking assay we show that for secreted, type I and type II signal-anchor proteins the presence of both GTP and RMs is required for the release of the nascent chain from the 54-kD subunit of SRP. For two of the proteins studied the release of the nascent chain from SRP54 was accompanied by a new interaction with components of the ER. We conclude that the GTP-dependent release of the nascent chain from SRP54 occurs in an identical manner for each of the proteins studied.

The signal sequence of nascent preprolactin interacts with the 54-kD protein of the signal recognition particle (SRP54). To identify the domain or site on SRP54 that interacts with the signal sequence we used a photocross-linking approach followed by limited proteolysis and immunoprecipitation using anti-peptide antibodies specific for defined regions of SRP54. We found that the previously identified methionine-rich RNA-binding domain of SRP54 (SRP54M domain) also interacts with the signal sequence. The smallest fragment that was found to be crosslinked to the signal sequence comprised the COOH-terminal 6-kD segment of the SRP54M domain. No cross-link to the putative GTP-binding domain of SRP54 (SRP54G domain) was found. Proteolytic cleavage between the SRP54M domain and SRP54G domain did not impair the subsequent interaction between the signal sequence and the SRP54M domain. Our results show that both the RNA binding and signal sequence binding functions of SRP54 are performed by the SRP54M domain.

Using a photocross-linking approach we have investigated the cytosolic and membrane components involved in the targeting and insertion of signal-anchor proteins into the membrane of the ER. The nascent chains of both type I and type II signal-anchor proteins can be cross-linked to the 54-kD subunit of the signal recognition particle. Upon addition of rough microsomes the type I and type II signal-anchor proteins interact with a number of components. Both types of protein interact with an integral membrane protein, the signal sequence receptor, previously identified by its proximity to preprolactin during its translocation (Wiedmann, M., T.V. Kurzchalia, E. Hartmann, and T.A. Rapoport. 1987. Nature [Lond.] 328:830-833). Three proteins, previously unidentified, were found to be cross-linked to the nascent chains of the signal-anchor proteins. Among them was a 37-kD protein that was found to be the main component interacting with the type I SA protein used. These proteins were not seen in the absence of membranes suggesting they are components of the ER. The ability of the nascent chains to be cross-linked to these identified proteins was shown to be abolished by prior treatment with agents known to disrupt translocation intermediates or ribosomes. We propose that the newly identified proteins function either in the membrane insertion of only a subset of proteins or only at a specific stage of insertion.