Energy is required for maturation of exported proteins in Escherichia coli.

It has been established in numerous cases that proteins which are exported from Escherichia coli are synthesized on membrane-bound polysomes in precursor forms which are proteolytically cleaved to generate the mature species. Here we present evidence that at least one step in the export of proteins requires energy. Energy requirements for processing of the precursors of both the M13 coat protein [Date, T., Zwizinski, C., Ludmerer, S., and Wickner, W. (1980) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 77, 827-831; Date, T., Goodman, J. M., and Wickner, W. T. (1980) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 77, 4669-4673] and the B subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin [Palva, T., Hirst, T. R., Hardy, S. J. S., Holmgren, J., and Randall, L. L. (1981) J. Bacteriol. in the press] have been demonstrated previously. An energy requirement for the proteolytic processing of an additional five exported proteins is reported here. Studies utilizing an uncA mutant suggest that the form of energy required is proton-motive force. Thus an energized membrane is probably essential for export of most periplasmic and outer membrane proteins.