, 1992). Interestingly, the tatA genes of some cyanobacteria appear to be localized selleck compound in a cluster with genes involved

in cyanate transport (Fig. 1), and this co-localization perhaps suggests a similar role for the Tat-dependent carbonic anhydrase in preventing the loss of bicarbonate in some cyanobacteria. The Tat motifs of many of the cyanobacterial strains examined herein, appear to differ somewhat from the previously described Ser/Thr-Arg-Arg-x-Phe-Leu-Lys consensus sequence of bacteria (Berks, 1996). Thus, the usually well-conserved Phe residue is commonly replaced by an additional Leu residue, whereas the Lys and Ser/Thr residues are not conserved at all. In this respect they resemble chloroplast Tat signals of eukaryotic cells, which contain the twin-arginine motif but usually lack the Phe and Lys residues

of the bacterial consensus motif. A complete list of the predicted Tat motifs is given in Table S1. A minimal Tat system has been described in Gram-positive bacteria where just two membrane protein components (TatA and TatC) are required for translocation activity (Yen et al., 2002; Dilks et al., 2003). The only exception to this is in the actinomycetes (Schaerlaekens et al., 2001), which in common with Gram-negative bacteria have an additional TatB component. TatA and TatB are closely related proteins and the TatA XL184 ic50 proteins found in Gram-positive bacteria are bifunctional, sharing features common to both proteins (Jongbloed et al., 2006; Barnett et al., 2008, 2009, 2011). Synechocystis has RNA Synthesis inhibitor a single tatC gene (sll0194) whilst two separate genes encode TatA/B homologues (slr1046 and ssl2823) (Aldridge et al., 2008). This suggested that cyanobacteria, like other Gram-negative bacteria and also plant chloroplasts, possess TatABC-type translocation systems. The similarity in primary sequence between TatA and TatB proteins makes assigning function difficult. In an attempt to address this problem, the slr1046 and ssl2823 genes of Synechocystis were expressed in E. coli mutant strains and the ability

of each protein to complement the function of TatA or TatB in the translocation of the E. coli Tat substrate, Trimethyl N-oxide-reductase, was examined. Both the slr1046 and ssl2823 genes can complement both tatA and tatB mutant strains (Aldridge et al., 2008) indicating that at least in E. coli, these proteins have a bifunctional capability, similar to the TatA proteins of Gram-positive bacteria. Despite this study, it still remains unclear whether Synechocystis has a single TatABC system that is operating in both the thylakoid and cytoplasmic membranes or two minimal TatAC pathways operating independently in the two membrane locations. This is an important question that must be addressed, if we are to understand how Tat substrates are correctly targeted in cyanobacteria.