A biphasic pulling force acts on transmembrane helices during translocon-mediated membrane integration

Cotranslational Protein Folding Through Non-Native Structural Intermediates

Cotranslational protein folding follows a distinct pathway shaped by the vectorial emergence of the peptide and spatial constraints of the ribosome exit tunnel. Variations in translation rhythm can cause misfolding linked to disease; however, predicting cotranslational folding pathways remains challenging. Here we computationally predict and experimentally validate a vectorial hierarchy of folding resolved at the atomistic level, where early intermediates are stabilized through non-native hydrophobic interactions before rearranging into the native-like fold. Disrupting these interactions destabilizes intermediates and impairs folding. The chaperone Trigger Factor alters the cotranslational folding pathway by keeping the nascent peptide dynamic until the full domain emerges. Our results highlight an unexpected role of surface-exposed residues in protein folding on the ribosome and provide tools to improve folding prediction and protein design.

Cotranslational membrane insertion of the voltage-sensitive K+ channel KvAP

Voltage-sensor domains (VSDs), found in many voltage-sensitive ion channels and enzymes, are composed of four transmembrane helices (TMHs), including the atypical, highly positively charged S4 helix. VSDs are cotranslationally inserted into the membrane, raising the question of how the highly charged S4 helix is integrated into the lipid bilayer as it exits the ribosome. Here, we have used force profile analysis (FPA) to follow the cotranslational insertion of the six-TMH KvAP voltage-sensitive ion channel into the Escherichia coli inner membrane. We find that the insertion process proceeds through three semi-independent steps: i) insertion of the S1-S2 helix hairpin, ii) insertion of the S3-S5 helices, and iii) insertion of the Pore and S6 helices. Our analysis highlights the importance of the concerted insertion of helical hairpins, the dramatic influence of the positively charged residues in S4, and the unexpectedly strong forces and effects on downstream TMHs elicited by amphipathic and re-entrant helices.

SecY translocon chaperones protein folding during membrane protein insertion

The Sec translocon is vital for guiding membrane protein insertion into lipid bilayers. The insertion and folding processes of membrane proteins are poorly understood. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of multi-spanning membrane proteins inserting through the SecY channel, the Sec translocon in prokaryotes. The high-resolution structures illustrate how bulky amino acids pass the narrow channel restriction. Comparison of different translocation states reveals that the cytoplasmic and extracellular cavities of the channel create distinct environments for promoting the unfolding and folding of transmembrane segments (TMs), respectively. Released substrate TMs are either flexible or stabilized by an unexpected hydrophilic groove between TM3 and TM4 of SecY. Disruption of the groove causes global defects in the folding of the membrane proteome. These findings demonstrate that beyond its role as a passive protein-conducting channel, the SecY translocon actively serves as a chaperone, employing multiple mechanisms to promote membrane protein insertion and folding.

Three Stages of Nascent Protein Translocation Through the Ribosome Exit Tunnel

All proteins in living organisms are produced in ribosomes that facilitate the translation of genetic information into a sequence of amino acid residues. During translation, the ribosome undergoes initiation, elongation, termination, and recycling. In fact, peptide bonds are formed only during the elongation phase, which comprises periodic association of transfer RNAs and multiple auxiliary proteins with the ribosome and the addition of an amino acid to the nascent polypeptide one at a time. The protein spends a considerable amount of time attached to the ribosome. Here, we conceptually divide this portion of the protein lifetime into three stages. We define each stage on the basis of the position of the N-terminus of the nascent polypeptide within the ribosome exit tunnel and the context of the catalytic center. We argue that nascent polypeptides experience a variety of forces that determine how they translocate through the tunnel and interact with the tunnel walls. We review current knowledge about nascent polypeptide translocation and identify several white spots in our understanding of the birth of proteins.

Mechanochemical forces regulate the composition and fate of stalled nascent chains

The ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) pathway resolves stalled ribosomes. As part of RQC, stalled nascent polypeptide chains (NCs) are appended with CArboxy-Terminal amino acids (CAT tails) in an mRNA-free, non-canonical elongation process. CAT tail composition includes Ala, Thr, and potentially other residues. The relationship between CAT tail composition and function has remained unknown. Using biochemical approaches in yeast, we discovered that mechanochemical forces on the NC regulate CAT tailing. We propose CAT tailing initially operates in an "extrusion mode" that increases NC lysine accessibility for on-ribosome ubiquitination. Thr in CAT tails enhances NC extrusion by preventing formation of polyalanine, which can form α-helices that lower extrusion efficiency and disrupt termination of CAT tailing. After NC ubiquitylation, pulling forces on the NC switch CAT tailing to an Ala-only "release mode" which facilitates nascent chain release from large ribosomal subunits and NC degradation. Failure to switch from extrusion to release mode leads to accumulation of NCs on large ribosomal subunits and proteotoxic aggregation of Thr-rich CAT tails.

Translation arrest cancellation of VemP, a secretion monitor in Vibrio, is regulated by multiple cis and trans factors, including SecY

VemP is a secretory protein in the Vibrio species that monitors cellular protein-transport activity through its translation arrest, allowing expression of the downstream secD2-secF2 genes in the same operon, which encode components of the protein translocation machinery. When cellular protein-transport function is fully active, secD2/F2 expression remains repressed as VemP translation arrest is canceled immediately. The VemP arrest cancellation occurs on the SecY/E/G translocon in a late stage in the translocation process and requires both trans factors, SecD/F and PpiD/YfgM, and a cis element, Arg-85 in VemP; however, the detailed molecular mechanism remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate how VemP passing through SecY specifically monitors SecD/F function. Genetic and biochemical studies showed that SecY is involved in the VemP arrest cancellation and that the arrested VemP is stably associated with a specific site in the protein-conducting pore of SecY. VemP-Bla reporter analyses revealed that a short hydrophobic segment adjacent to Arg-85 plays a critical role in the regulated arrest cancellation with its hydrophobicity correlating with the stability of the VemP arrest. We identified Gln-65 and Pro-67 in VemP as novel elements important for the regulation. We propose a model for the regulation of the VemP arrest cancellation by multiple cis elements and trans factors with different roles.

Single-residue effects on the behavior of a nascent polypeptide chain inside the ribosome exit tunnel

Nascent polypeptide chains (NCs) are extruded from the ribosome through an exit tunnel (ET) traversing the large ribosomal subunit. The ET's irregular and chemically complex wall allows for various NC-ET interactions. Translational arrest peptides (APs) bind in the ET to induce translational arrest, a property that can be exploited to study NC-ET interactions by Force Profile Analysis (FPA). We employed FPA and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate how individual residues placed in a glycine-serine repeat segment within an AP-stalled NC interact with the ET to exert a pulling force on the AP and release stalling. Our results indicate that large and hydrophobic residues generate a pulling force on the NC when placed ≳10 residues away from the peptidyl transfer center (PTC). Moreover, an asparagine placed 12 residues from the PTC makes a specific stabilizing interaction with the tip of ribosomal protein uL22 that reduces the pulling force on the NC, while a lysine or leucine residue in the same position increases the pulling force. Finally, the MD simulations suggest how the Mannheimia succiniproducens SecM AP interacts with the ET to promote translational stalling.

Force-regulated chaperone activity of BiP/ERdj3 is opposite to their homologs DnaK/DnaJ

Polypeptide chains experience mechanical tension while translocating through cellular tunnels, which are subsequently folded by molecular chaperones. However, interactions between tunnel-associated chaperones and these emerging polypeptides under force is not completely understood. Our investigation focused on mechanical chaperone activity of two tunnel-associated chaperones, BiP and ERdj3 both with and without mechanical constraints and comparing them with their cytoplasmic homologs: DnaK and DnaJ. While BiP/ERdj3 have been observed to exhibit robust foldase activity under force, DnaK/DnaJ showed holdase function. Importantly, the tunnel-associated chaperones (BiP/ERdj3) transitioned to a holdase state in the absence of force, indicating a force-dependent chaperone behavior. This chaperone-driven folding event in the tunnel generated an additional mechanical energy of up to 54 zJ, potentially aiding protein translocation. Our findings align with strain theory, where chaperones with higher intrinsic deformability act as mechanical foldases (BiP, ERdj3), while those with lower deformability serve as holdases (DnaK and DnaJ). This study thus elucidates the differential mechanically regulated chaperoning activity and introduces a novel perspective on co-translocational protein folding.

Steric trapping strategy for studying the folding of helical membrane proteins

Elucidating the folding energy landscape of membrane proteins is essential to the understanding of the proteins' stabilizing forces, folding mechanisms, biogenesis, and quality control. This is not a trivial task because the reversible control of folding is inherently difficult in a lipid bilayer environment. Recently, novel methods have been developed, each of which has a unique strength in investigating specific aspects of membrane protein folding. Among such methods, steric trapping is a versatile strategy allowing a reversible control of membrane protein folding with minimal perturbation of native protein-water and protein-lipid interactions. In a nutshell, steric trapping exploits the coupling of spontaneous denaturation of a doubly biotinylated protein to the simultaneous binding of bulky monovalent streptavidin molecules. This strategy has been evolved to investigate key elements of membrane protein folding such as thermodynamic stability, spontaneous denaturation rates, conformational features of the denatured states, and cooperativity of stabilizing interactions. In this review, we describe the critical methodological advancement, limitation, and outlook of the steric trapping strategy.

Patchy and widespread distribution of bacterial translation arrest peptides associated with the protein localization machinery

Regulatory arrest peptides interact with specific residues on bacterial ribosomes and arrest their own translation. Here, we analyse over 30,000 bacterial genome sequences to identify additional Sec/YidC-related arrest peptides, followed by in vivo and in vitro analyses. We find that Sec/YidC-related arrest peptides show patchy, but widespread, phylogenetic distribution throughout the bacterial domain. Several of the identified peptides contain distinct conserved sequences near the C-termini, but are still able to efficiently stall bacterial ribosomes in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we identify many arrest peptides that share an R-A-P-P-like sequence, suggesting that this sequence might serve as a common evolutionary seed to overcome ribosomal structural differences across species.

The SecM arrest peptide traps a pre-peptide bond formation state of the ribosome

Nascent polypeptide chains can induce translational stalling to regulate gene expression. This is exemplified by the E. coli secretion monitor (SecM) arrest peptide that induces translational stalling to regulate expression of the downstream encoded SecA, an ATPase that co-operates with the SecYEG translocon to facilitate insertion of proteins into or through the cytoplasmic membrane. Here we present the structure of a ribosome stalled during translation of the full-length E. coli SecM arrest peptide at 2.0 Å resolution. The structure reveals that SecM arrests translation by stabilizing the Pro-tRNA in the A-site, but in a manner that prevents peptide bond formation with the SecM-peptidyl-tRNA in the P-site. By employing molecular dynamic simulations, we also provide insight into how a pulling force on the SecM nascent chain can relieve the SecM-mediated translation arrest. Collectively, the mechanisms determined here for SecM arrest and relief are also likely to be applicable for a variety of other arrest peptides that regulate components of the protein localization machinery identified across a wide range of bacteria lineages.

Control of mRNA fate by its encoded nascent polypeptide

Cells tightly regulate mRNA processing, localization, and stability to ensure accurate gene expression in diverse cellular states and conditions. Most of these regulatory steps have traditionally been thought to occur before translation by the action of RNA-binding proteins. Several recent discoveries highlight multiple co-translational mechanisms that modulate mRNA translation, localization, processing, and stability. These mechanisms operate by recognition of the nascent protein, which is necessarily coupled to its encoding mRNA during translation. Hence, the distinctive sequence or structure of a particular nascent chain can recruit recognition factors with privileged access to the corresponding mRNA in an otherwise crowded cellular environment. Here, we draw on both well-established and recent examples to provide a conceptual framework for how cells exploit nascent protein recognition to direct mRNA fate. These mechanisms allow cells to dynamically and specifically regulate their transcriptomes in response to changes in cellular states to maintain protein homeostasis.

Identification of Bacillus subtilis YidC substrates using a MifM-instructed translation arrest-based reporter

YidC is a member of the YidC/Oxa1/Alb3 protein family that is crucial for membrane protein biogenesis in the bacterial plasma membrane. While YidC facilitates the folding and complex assembly of membrane proteins along with the Sec translocon, it also functions as a Sec-independent membrane protein insertase in the YidC-only pathway. However, little is known about how membrane proteins are recognized and sorted by these pathways, especially in Gram-positive bacteria, for which only a small number of YidC substrates have been identified to date. In this study, we aimed to identify Bacillus subtilis membrane proteins whose membrane insertion depends on SpoIIIJ, the primary YidC homolog in B. subtilis. We took advantage of the translation arrest sequence of MifM, which can monitor YidC-dependent membrane insertion. Our systematic screening identified eight membrane proteins as candidate SpoIIIJ substrates. Results of our genetic study also suggest that the conserved arginine in the hydrophilic groove of SpoIIIJ is crucial for the membrane insertion of the substrates identified here. However, in contrast to MifM, a previously identified YidC substrate, the importance of the negatively charged residue on the substrates for membrane insertion varied depending on the substrate. These results suggest that B. subtilis YidC uses substrate-specific interactions to facilitate membrane insertion.

Metabolic Sensing of Extracytoplasmic Copper Availability via Translational Control by a Nascent Exported Protein

Metabolic sensing is a crucial prerequisite for cells to adjust their physiology to rapidly changing environments. In bacteria, the response to intra- and extracellular ligands is primarily controlled by transcriptional regulators, which activate or repress gene expression to ensure metabolic acclimation. Translational control, such as ribosomal stalling, can also contribute to cellular acclimation and has been shown to mediate responses to changing intracellular molecules. In the current study, we demonstrate that the cotranslational export of the Rhodobacter capsulatus protein CutF regulates the translation of the downstream cutO-encoded multicopper oxidase CutO in response to extracellular copper (Cu). Our data show that CutF, acting as a Cu sensor, is cotranslationally exported by the signal recognition particle pathway. The binding of Cu to the periplasmically exposed Cu-binding motif of CutF delays its cotranslational export via its C-terminal ribosome stalling-like motif. This allows for the unfolding of an mRNA stem-loop sequence that shields the ribosome-binding site of cutO, which favors its subsequent translation. Bioinformatic analyses reveal that CutF-like proteins are widely distributed in bacteria and are often located upstream of genes involved in transition metal homeostasis. Our overall findings illustrate a highly conserved control mechanism using the cotranslational export of a protein acting as a sensor to integrate the changing availability of extracellular nutrients into metabolic acclimation. IMPORTANCE Metabolite sensing is a fundamental biological process, and the perception of dynamic changes in the extracellular environment is of paramount importance for the survival of organisms. Bacteria usually adjust their metabolisms to changing environments via transcriptional regulation. Here, using Rhodobacter capsulatus, we describe an alternative translational mechanism that controls the bacterial response to the presence of copper, a toxic micronutrient. This mechanism involves a cotranslationally secreted protein that, in the presence of copper, undergoes a process resembling ribosomal stalling. This allows for the unfolding of a downstream mRNA stem-loop and enables the translation of the adjacent Cu-detoxifying multicopper oxidase. Bioinformatic analyses reveal that such proteins are widespread, suggesting that metabolic sensing using ribosome-arrested nascent secreted proteins acting as sensors may be a common strategy for the integration of environmental signals into metabolic adaptations.

Mechanism of Protein Translocation by the Sec61 Translocon Complex

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a major site for protein synthesis, folding, and maturation in eukaryotic cells, responsible for production of secretory proteins and most integral membrane proteins. The universally conserved protein-conducting channel Sec61 complex mediates core steps in these processes by translocating hydrophilic polypeptide segments of client proteins across the ER membrane and integrating hydrophobic transmembrane segments into the membrane. The Sec61 complex associates with several other molecular machines and enzymes to enable substrate engagement with the channel and coordination of protein translocation with translation, protein folding, and/or post-translational modifications. Recent cryo-electron microscopy and functional studies of these translocon complexes have greatly advanced our mechanistic understanding of Sec61-dependent protein biogenesis at the ER. Here, we will review the current models for how the Sec61 channel performs its functions in coordination with partner complexes.

Cotranslational folding of human growth hormone in vitro and in Escherichia coli

Human growth hormone (hGH) is a four-helix bundle protein of considerable pharmacological interest. Recombinant hGH is produced in bacteria, yet little is known about its folding during expression in Escherichia coli. We have studied the cotranslational folding of hGH using force profile analysis (FPA), both during in vitro translation in the absence and presence of the chaperone trigger factor (TF), and when expressed in E. coli. We find that the main folding transition starts before hGH is completely released from the ribosome, and that it can interact with TF and possibly other chaperones.

Modulating co-translational protein folding by rational design and ribosome engineering

Co-translational folding is a fundamental process for the efficient biosynthesis of nascent polypeptides that emerge through the ribosome exit tunnel. To understand how this process is modulated by the shape and surface of the narrow tunnel, we have rationally engineered three exit tunnel protein loops (uL22, uL23 and uL24) of the 70S ribosome by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and studied the co-translational folding of an immunoglobulin-like filamin domain (FLN5). Our thermodynamics measurements employing ¹⁹F/¹⁵N/methyl-TROSY NMR spectroscopy together with cryo-EM and molecular dynamics simulations reveal how the variations in the lengths of the loops present across species exert their distinct effects on the free energy of FLN5 folding. A concerted interplay of the uL23 and uL24 loops is sufficient to alter co-translational folding energetics, which we highlight by the opposite folding outcomes resulting from their extensions. These subtle modulations occur through a combination of the steric effects relating to the shape of the tunnel, the dynamic interactions between the ribosome surface and the unfolded nascent chain, and its altered exit pathway within the vestibule. These results illustrate the role of the exit tunnel structure in co-translational folding, and provide principles for how to remodel it to elicit a desired folding outcome.

The narrow exit tunnel of the ribosome is important for cotranslational protein folding. Here, authors show that their rationally designed and engineered exit tunnel protein loops modulate the free energy of nascent chain dynamics and folding.

A nascent peptide code for translational control of mRNA stability in human cells

Stability of eukaryotic mRNAs is associated with their codon, amino acid, and GC content. Yet, coding sequence motifs that predictably alter mRNA stability in human cells remain poorly defined. Here, we develop a massively parallel assay to measure mRNA effects of thousands of synthetic and endogenous coding sequence motifs in human cells. We identify several families of simple dipeptide repeats whose translation triggers mRNA destabilization. Rather than individual amino acids, specific combinations of bulky and positively charged amino acids are critical for the destabilizing effects of dipeptide repeats. Remarkably, dipeptide sequences that form extended β strands in silico and in vitro slowdown ribosomes and reduce mRNA levels in vivo. The resulting nascent peptide code underlies the mRNA effects of hundreds of endogenous peptide sequences in the human proteome. Our work suggests an intrinsic role for the ribosome as a selectivity filter against the synthesis of bulky and aggregation-prone peptides.

Cotranslational folding and assembly of the dimeric Escherichia coli inner membrane protein EmrE

In recent years, it has become clear that many homo- and heterodimeric cytoplasmic proteins in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells start to dimerize cotranslationally (i.e., while at least one of the two chains is still attached to the ribosome). Whether this is also possible for integral membrane proteins is, however, unknown. Here, we apply force profile analysis (FPA)-a method where a translational arrest peptide (AP) engineered into the polypeptide chain is used to detect force generated on the nascent chain during membrane insertion-to demonstrate cotranslational interactions between a fully membrane-inserted monomer and a nascent, ribosome-tethered monomer of the Escherichia coli inner membrane protein EmrE. Similar cotranslational interactions are also seen when the two monomers are fused into a single polypeptide. Further, we uncover an apparent intrachain interaction between E¹⁴ in transmembrane helix 1 (TMH1) and S⁶⁴ in TMH3 that forms at a precise nascent chain length during cotranslational membrane insertion of an EmrE monomer. Like soluble proteins, inner membrane proteins thus appear to be able to both start to fold and start to dimerize during the cotranslational membrane insertion process.

Bacterial Signal Peptides- Navigating the Journey of Proteins

In 1971, Blobel proposed the first statement of the Signal Hypothesis which suggested that proteins have amino-terminal sequences that dictate their export and localization in the cell. A cytosolic binding factor was predicted, and later the protein conducting channel was discovered that was proposed in 1975 to align with the large ribosomal tunnel. The 1975 Signal Hypothesis also predicted that proteins targeted to different intracellular membranes would possess distinct signals and integral membrane proteins contained uncleaved signal sequences which initiate translocation of the polypeptide chain. This review summarizes the central role that the signal peptides play as address codes for proteins, their decisive role as targeting factors for delivery to the membrane and their function to activate the translocation machinery for export and membrane protein insertion. After shedding light on the navigation of proteins, the importance of removal of signal peptide and their degradation are addressed. Furthermore, the emerging work on signal peptidases as novel targets for antibiotic development is described.

Methods to study folding of alpha-helical membrane proteins in lipids

How alpha-helical membrane proteins fold correctly in the highly hydrophobic membrane interior is not well understood. Their folding is known to be highly influenced by the lipids within the surrounding bilayer, but the majority of folding studies have focused on detergent-solubilized protein rather than protein in a lipid environment. There are different ways to study folding in lipid bilayers, and each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. This review will discuss folding methods which can be used to study alpha-helical membrane proteins in bicelles, liposomes, nanodiscs or native membranes. These folding methods include in vitro folding methods in liposomes such as denaturant unfolding studies, and single-molecule force spectroscopy studies in bicelles, liposomes and native membranes. This review will also discuss recent advances in co-translational folding studies, which use cell-free expression with liposomes or nanodiscs or are performed in vivo with native membranes.

Cotranslational Biogenesis of Membrane Proteins in Bacteria

Nascent polypeptides emerging from the ribosome during translation are rapidly scanned and processed by ribosome-associated protein biogenesis factors (RPBs). RPBs cleave the N-terminal formyl and methionine groups, assist cotranslational protein folding, and sort the proteins according to their cellular destination. Ribosomes translating inner-membrane proteins are recognized and targeted to the translocon with the help of the signal recognition particle, SRP, and SRP receptor, FtsY. The growing nascent peptide is then inserted into the phospholipid bilayer at the translocon, an inner-membrane protein complex consisting of SecY, SecE, and SecG. Folding of membrane proteins requires that transmembrane helices (TMs) attain their correct topology, the soluble domains are inserted at the correct (cytoplasmic or periplasmic) side of the membrane, and – for polytopic membrane proteins – the TMs find their interaction partner TMs in the phospholipid bilayer. This review describes the recent progress in understanding how growing nascent peptides are processed and how inner-membrane proteins are targeted to the translocon and find their correct orientation at the membrane, with the focus on biophysical approaches revealing the dynamics of the process. We describe how spontaneous fluctuations of the translocon allow diffusion of TMs into the phospholipid bilayer and argue that the ribosome orchestrates cotranslational targeting not only by providing the binding platform for the RPBs or the translocon, but also by helping the nascent chains to find their correct orientation in the membrane. Finally, we present the auxiliary role of YidC as a chaperone for inner-membrane proteins. We show how biophysical approaches provide new insights into the dynamics of membrane protein biogenesis and raise new questions as to how translation modulates protein folding.

How lipids affect the energetics of co-translational alpha helical membrane protein folding

Membrane proteins need to fold with precision in order to function correctly, with misfolding potentially leading to disease. The proteins reside within a hydrophobic lipid membrane and must insert into the membrane and fold correctly, generally whilst they are being translated by the ribosome. Favourable and unfavourable free energy contributions are present throughout each stage of insertion and folding. The unfavourable energy cost of transferring peptide bonds into the hydrophobic membrane interior is compensated for by the favourable hydrophobic effect of partitioning a hydrophobic transmembrane alpha-helix into the membrane. Native membranes are composed of many different types of lipids, but how these different lipids influence folding and the associated free energies is not well understood. Altering the lipids in the bilayer is known to affect the probability of transmembrane helix insertion into the membrane, and lipids also affect protein stability and can promote successful folding. This review will summarise the free energy contributions associated with insertion and folding of alpha helical membrane proteins, as well as how lipids can make these processes more or less favourable. We will also discuss the implications of this work for the free energy landscape during the co-translational folding of alpha helical membrane proteins.

Upstream charged and hydrophobic residues impact the timing of membrane insertion of transmembrane helices

During SecYEG-mediated cotranslational insertion of membrane proteins, transmembrane helices (TMHs) first make contact with the membrane when their N-terminal end is ~45 residues away from the peptidyl transferase center. However, we recently uncovered instances where the first contact is delayed by up to ~10 residues. Here, we recapitulate these effects using a model TMH fused to two short segments from the Escherichia coli inner membrane protein BtuC: a positively charged loop and a re-entrant loop. We show that the critical residues are two Arg residues in the positively charged loop and four hydrophobic residues in the re-entrant loop. Thus, both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions involving sequence elements that are not part of a TMH can impact the way the latter behaves during membrane insertion.

A switch from α-helical to β-strand conformation during co-translational protein folding

Cellular proteins begin to fold as they emerge from the ribosome. The folding landscape of nascent chains is not only shaped by their amino acid sequence but also by the interactions with the ribosome. Here, we combine biophysical methods with cryo‐EM structure determination to show that folding of a β‐barrel protein begins with formation of a dynamic α‐helix inside the ribosome. As the growing peptide reaches the end of the tunnel, the N‐terminal part of the nascent chain refolds to a β‐hairpin structure that remains dynamic until its release from the ribosome. Contacts with the ribosome and structure of the peptidyl transferase center depend on nascent chain conformation. These results indicate that proteins may start out as α‐helices inside the tunnel and switch into their native folds only as they emerge from the ribosome. Moreover, the correlation of nascent chain conformations with reorientation of key residues of the ribosomal peptidyl‐transferase center suggest that protein folding could modulate ribosome activity.

Cell-Free Synthesis Strategies to Probe Co-translational Folding of Proteins Within Lipid Membranes

In order to comprehend the molecular basis of transmembrane protein biogenesis, methods are required that are capable of investigating the co-translational folding of these hydrophobic proteins. Equally, in artificial cell studies, controllable methods are desirable for in situ synthesis of membrane proteins that then direct reactions in the synthetic cell membrane. Here we describe a method that exploits cell-free expression systems and tunable membrane mimetics to facilitate co-translational studies. Alteration of the lipid bilayer composition improves the efficiency of the folding system. The approach also enables membrane transport proteins to be made and inserted into artificial cell platforms such as droplet interface bilayers. Importantly, this gives a new facet to the droplet networks by enabling specific transport of molecules across the synthetic bilayer against a concentration gradient. This method also includes a protocol to pause and restart translation of membrane proteins at specified positions during their co-translational folding. This stop-start strategy provides an avenue to investigate whether the proteins fold in sequence order, or if the correct fold of N-terminal regions is reliant on the synthesis of downstream residues.

Ribosome Elongation Kinetics of Consecutively Charged Residues Are Coupled to Electrostatic Force

The speed of protein synthesis can dramatically change when consecutively charged residues are incorporated into an elongating nascent protein by the ribosome. The molecular origins of this class of allosteric coupling remain unknown. We demonstrate, using multiscale simulations, that positively charged residues generate large forces that move the P-site amino acid away from the A-site amino acid. Negatively charged residues generate forces of similar magnitude but move the A- and P-sites closer together. These conformational changes, respectively, increase and decrease the transition state barrier height to peptide bond formation, explaining how charged residues mechanochemically alter translation speed. This mechanochemical mechanism is consistent with in vivo ribosome profiling data exhibiting proportionality between translation speed and the number of charged residues, experimental data characterizing nascent chain conformations, and a previously published cryo-EM structure of a ribosome-nascent chain complex containing consecutive lysines. These results expand the role of mechanochemistry in translation and provide a framework for interpreting experimental results on translation speed.

Methodologies for Measuring Protein Trafficking across Cellular Membranes

Nearly all proteins are synthesized in the cytosol. The majority of this proteome must be trafficked elsewhere, such as to membranes, to subcellular compartments, or outside of the cell. Proper trafficking of nascent protein is necessary for protein folding, maturation, quality control and cellular and organismal health. To better understand cellular biology, molecular and chemical technologies to properly characterize protein trafficking (and mistrafficking) have been developed and applied. Herein, we take a biochemical perspective to review technologies that enable spatial and temporal measurement of protein distribution, focusing on both the most widely adopted methodologies and exciting emerging approaches.

Mechanical Forces Have a Range of Effects on the Rate of Ribosome Catalyzed Peptidyl Transfer Depending on Direction

Mechanical forces acting on the nascent chain residue located at the P-site of the ribosome can influence codon translation rates. Most observations to date involve force vectors aligned collinear with the long axis of the ribosome exit tunnel. What is poorly understood is how force applied in other directions will impact the rate of peptide bond formation catalyzed by the ribosome. Here, we utilize quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics simulations to estimate the changes in the activation free energy as a consequence of applying a constant force in various directions on the C-terminal residue at the P-site. Qualitatively consistent with the Bell model, we find this force can either accelerate, decelerate, or not alter the reaction rate depending on the force direction. A force in the average direction between the P-site 3' O-C ester bond that breaks and the peptide bond that forms accelerates the reaction. A force in the opposite direction slows down the reaction as it opposes these bonds breaking and forming, but surprisingly it does not do so to the maximum extent possible. In this case, there is a counterbalancing trend; the force in this direction brings the A-site amino nitrogen and the P-site tRNA A76 3' oxygen groups closer together, which promotes one of the proton shuttling steps of the reaction. We find the maximum force-induced slowdown occurs 37° off this axis. If force is applied in orthogonal directions to the reaction coordinates, there is no significant change in the reaction speed. These results indicate that there is a richer set of scenarios of force effects on translation speed that have yet to be experimentally explored and raise the possibility that cells could use these mechanochemical effects to modulate and regulate protein synthesis.

Mechanisms of Cotranslational Protein Maturation in Bacteria

Growing cells invest a significant part of their biosynthetic capacity into the production of proteins. To become functional, newly-synthesized proteins must be N-terminally processed, folded and often translocated to other cellular compartments. A general strategy is to integrate these protein maturation processes with translation, by cotranslationally engaging processing enzymes, chaperones and targeting factors with the nascent polypeptide. Precise coordination of all factors involved is critical for the efficiency and accuracy of protein synthesis and cellular homeostasis. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on cotranslational protein maturation, with a focus on the production of cytosolic proteins in bacteria. We describe the role of the ribosome and the chaperone network in protein folding and how the dynamic interplay of all cotranslationally acting factors guides the sequence of cotranslational events. Finally, we discuss recent data demonstrating the coupling of protein synthesis with the assembly of protein complexes and end with a brief discussion of outstanding questions and emerging concepts in the field of cotranslational protein maturation.

An epilepsy-causing mutation leads to co-translational misfolding of the Kv7.2 channel

Background

The amino acid sequence of proteins generally carries all the necessary information for acquisition of native conformations, but the vectorial nature of translation can additionally determine the folding outcome. Such consideration is particularly relevant in human diseases associated to inherited mutations leading to structural instability, aggregation, and degradation. Mutations in the KCNQ2 gene associated with human epilepsy have been suggested to cause misfolding of the encoded Kv7.2 channel. Although the effect on folding of mutations in some domains has been studied, little is known of the way pathogenic variants located in the calcium responsive domain (CRD) affect folding. Here, we explore how a Kv7.2 mutation (W344R) located in helix A of the CRD and associated with hereditary epilepsy interferes with channel function.

Results

We report that the epilepsy W344R mutation within the IQ motif of CRD decreases channel function, but contrary to other mutations at this site, it does not impair the interaction with Calmodulin (CaM) in vitro, as monitored by multiple in vitro binding assays. We find negligible impact of the mutation on the structure of the complex by molecular dynamic computations. In silico studies revealed two orientations of the side chain, which are differentially populated by WT and W344R variants. Binding to CaM is impaired when the mutated protein is produced in cellulo but not in vitro, suggesting that this mutation impedes proper folding during translation within the cell by forcing the nascent chain to follow a folding route that leads to a non-native configuration, and thereby generating non-functional ion channels that fail to traffic to proper neuronal compartments.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that the key pathogenic mechanism of Kv7.2 W344R mutation involves the failure to adopt a configuration that can be recognized by CaM in vivo but not in vitro.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01040-1.

Context-specific action of macrolide antibiotics on the eukaryotic ribosome

Macrolide antibiotics bind in the nascent peptide exit tunnel of the bacterial ribosome and prevent polymerization of specific amino acid sequences, selectively inhibiting translation of a subset of proteins. Because preventing translation of individual proteins could be beneficial for the treatment of human diseases, we asked whether macrolides, if bound to the eukaryotic ribosome, would retain their context- and protein-specific action. By introducing a single mutation in rRNA, we rendered yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells sensitive to macrolides. Cryo-EM structural analysis showed that the macrolide telithromycin binds in the tunnel of the engineered eukaryotic ribosome. Genome-wide analysis of cellular translation and biochemical studies demonstrated that the drug inhibits eukaryotic translation by preferentially stalling ribosomes at distinct sequence motifs. Context-specific action markedly depends on the macrolide structure. Eliminating macrolide-arrest motifs from a protein renders its translation macrolide-tolerant. Our data illuminate the prospects of adapting macrolides for protein-selective translation inhibition in eukaryotic cells.

Cotranslational Translocation and Folding of a Periplasmic Protein Domain in Escherichia coli

In Gram-negative bacteria, periplasmic domains in inner membrane proteins are cotranslationally translocated across the inner membrane through the SecYEG translocon. To what degree such domains also start to fold cotranslationally is generally difficult to determine using currently available methods. Here, we apply Force Profile Analysis (FPA) - a method where a translational arrest peptide is used to detect folding-induced forces acting on the nascent polypeptide - to follow the cotranslational translocation and folding of the large periplasmic domain of the E. coli inner membrane protease LepB in vivo. Membrane insertion of LepB's two N-terminal transmembrane helices is initiated when their respective N-terminal ends reach 45-50 residues away from the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) in the ribosome. The main folding transition in the periplasmic domain involves all but the ~15 most C-terminal residues of the protein and happens when the C-terminal end of the folded part is ~70 residues away from the PTC; a smaller putative folding intermediate is also detected. This implies that wildtype LepB folds post-translationally in vivo, and shows that FPA can be used to study both co- and post-translational protein folding in the periplasm.

Force transduction creates long-ranged coupling in ribosomes stalled by arrest peptides

Force-sensitive arrest peptides regulate protein biosynthesis by stalling the ribosome as they are translated. Synthesis can be resumed when the nascent arrest peptide experiences a pulling force of sufficient magnitude to break the stall. Efficient stalling is dependent on the specific identity of a large number of amino acids, including amino acids that are tens of angstroms away from the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). The mechanism of force-induced restart and the role of these essential amino acids far from the PTC is currently unknown. We use hundreds of independent molecular dynamics trajectories spanning over 120 μs in combination with kinetic analysis to characterize multiple barriers along the force-induced restart pathway for the arrest peptide SecM. We find that the essential amino acids far from the PTC play a major role in controlling the transduction of applied force. In successive states along the stall-breaking pathway, the applied force propagates up the nascent chain until it reaches the C-terminus of SecM and the PTC, inducing conformational changes that allow for restart of translation. A similar mechanism of force propagation through multiple states is observed in the VemP stall-breaking pathway, but secondary structure in VemP allows for heterogeneity in the order of transitions through intermediate states. Results from both arrest peptides explain how residues that are tens of angstroms away from the catalytic center of the ribosome impact stalling efficiency by mediating the response to an applied force and shielding the amino acids responsible for maintaining the stalled state of the PTC.

Search for translation arrest peptides encoded upstream of genes for components of protein localization pathways

Regulatory nascent peptides participate in the regulation of cellular functions by the mechanisms involving regulated translation arrest. A class of them in bacteria, called monitoring substrates, feedback-regulates the expression of a specific component of protein localization machinery. Three monitoring substrates, SecM, MifM and VemP have previously been identified. Here, we attempt at identifying additional arrest peptides in bacteria. Our bioinformatic searches over more than 400 bacterial genomic sequences for proteins that have the common characteristic features shared by the known monitoring substrates and subsequent in vitro and in vivo characterization of the highlighted sequences allowed the identification of three arrest peptides termed ApcA, ApdA and ApdP. ApcA and ApdA homologs are conserved among a subset of actinobacteria, whereas ApdP has homologs in a subset of α-proteobacteria. We demonstrate that these arrest peptides, in their ribosome-tethered nascent states, inhibit peptidyl transfer. The elongation arrest occurs at a specific codon near the 3′ end of the coding region, in a manner depending on the amino acid sequence of the nascent chain. Interestingly, the arrest sequences of ApcA, ApdA and ApdP share a sequence R-A-P-G/P that is essential for the elongation arrest.

Residue-by-residue analysis of cotranslational membrane protein integration in vivo

We follow the cotranslational biosynthesis of three multispanning Escherichia coli inner membrane proteins in vivo using high-resolution force profile analysis. The force profiles show that the nascent chain is subjected to rapidly varying pulling forces during translation and reveal unexpected complexities in the membrane integration process. We find that an N-terminal cytoplasmic domain can fold in the ribosome exit tunnel before membrane integration starts, that charged residues and membrane-interacting segments such as re-entrant loops and surface helices flanking a transmembrane helix (TMH) can advance or delay membrane integration, and that point mutations in an upstream TMH can affect the pulling forces generated by downstream TMHs in a highly position-dependent manner, suggestive of residue-specific interactions between TMHs during the integration process. Our results support the 'sliding' model of translocon-mediated membrane protein integration, in which hydrophobic segments are continually exposed to the lipid bilayer during their passage through the SecYEG translocon.

A protein folding intermediate pulls its weight

Proteins must acquire and maintain a specific fold to execute their biochemical function(s). In solution, unfolded proteins typically find this native structure through a biased sampling of preferred intermediate conformations. However, the initial search for these structures begins during protein synthesis, and it is unclear how much interactions between the ribosome and nascent polypeptide skew folding pathways. In this issue, Jensen and colleagues use a ribosomal force-profiling assay to show that RNase H forms a similar folding intermediate on and off the ribosome. In conjunction with measurements of the rate of RNase H unfolding on and off the ribosome, their results show that ribosomal interactions have little impact on the folding pathway of RNase H. These findings suggest that the ribosome itself does not necessarily rewire protein folding reactions.

Forcing the ribosome to change its message

Mechanical forces can be generated when nascent protein segments are integrated into a membrane. These forces are then transmitted through the nascent protein to the ribosome's catalytic core, but only a few biological consequences of this process have been identified to date. In this issue, Harrington et al. present evidence that these forces form a conserved mechanism to influence the efficiency of ribosomal frameshifting during translation of viral RNA, indicating that mechanical forces may play a broader regulatory role in translation than previously appreciated.

Translocon-Associated Protein Complex (TRAP) is Crucial for Co-Translational Translocation of Pre-Proinsulin

Many unanswered questions remain in understanding the biosynthesis of the peptide hormone insulin. Here we elucidate new aspects in the mechanism of co-translational translocation initiation of pre-proinsulin in the endoplasmic reticulum. We utilize a translational arrest peptide derived from the x-box-binding protein (Xbp1) to induce ribosomal stalling and generate translocation intermediates. We find that the insulin signal sequence is rather weakly gating and requires the assistance of auxiliary translocon components to initiate translocation. Probing the translational intermediates with chemical crosslinking, we identified an early interaction with the translocon-associated protein (TRAP) complex. The TRAPβ subunit interacts with pre-proinsulin before the peptide enters the Sec61 translocon channel in a signal sequence-dependent manner. We describe the substrate sequence determinants that are recognized by TRAP on the cytosolic site of the membrane to facilitate substrate-specific opening of the Sec61 translocon channel. Our findings support the hypothesis that the TRAP-dependence is in part determined by the content of glycine and proline residues mainly within the signal sequence.

Gradual compaction of the nascent peptide during cotranslational folding on the ribosome

Nascent polypeptides begin to fold in the constrained space of the ribosomal peptide exit tunnel. Here we use force-profile analysis (FPA) and photo-induced energy-transfer fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (PET-FCS) to show how a small α-helical domain, the N-terminal domain of HemK, folds cotranslationally. Compaction starts vectorially as soon as the first α-helical segments are synthesized. As nascent chain grows, emerging helical segments dock onto each other and continue to rearrange at the vicinity of the ribosome. Inside or in the proximity of the ribosome, the nascent peptide undergoes structural fluctuations on the µs time scale. The fluctuations slow down as the domain moves away from the ribosome. Mutations that destabilize the packing of the domain's hydrophobic core have little effect on folding within the exit tunnel, but abolish the final domain stabilization. The results show the power of FPA and PET-FCS in solving the trajectory of cotranslational protein folding and in characterizing the dynamic properties of folding intermediates.

Cotranslational folding of alkaline phosphatase in the periplasm of Escherichia coli

Cotranslational protein folding studies using Force Profile Analysis, a method where the SecM translational arrest peptide is used to detect folding-induced forces acting on the nascent polypeptide, have so far been limited mainly to small domains of cytosolic proteins that fold in close proximity to the translating ribosome. In this study, we investigate the cotranslational folding of the periplasmic, disulfide bond-containing Escherichia coli protein alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) in a wild-type strain background and a strain background devoid of the periplasmic thiol: disulfide interchange protein DsbA. We find that folding-induced forces can be transmitted via the nascent chain from the periplasm to the polypeptide transferase center in the ribosome, a distance of ~160 Å, and that PhoA appears to fold cotranslationally via at least two disulfide-stabilized folding intermediates. Thus, Force Profile Analysis can be used to study cotranslational folding of proteins in an extra-cytosolic compartment, like the periplasm.

Capturing Membrane Protein Ribosome Nascent Chain Complexes in a Native-like Environment for Co-translational Studies

Co-translational folding studies of membrane proteins lag behind cytosolic protein investigations largely due to the technical difficulty in maintaining membrane lipid environments for correct protein folding. Stalled ribosome-bound nascent chain complexes (RNCs) can give snapshots of a nascent protein chain as it emerges from the ribosome during biosynthesis. Here, we demonstrate how SecM-facilitated nascent chain stalling and native nanodisc technologies can be exploited to capture in vivo-generated membrane protein RNCs within their native lipid compositions. We reveal that a polytopic membrane protein can be successfully stalled at various stages during its synthesis and the resulting RNC extracted within either detergent micelles or diisobutylene-maleic acid co-polymer native nanodiscs. Our approaches offer tractable solutions for the structural and biophysical interrogation of nascent membrane proteins of specified lengths, as the elongating nascent chain emerges from the ribosome and inserts into its native lipid milieu.

Prion Protein Translocation Mechanism Revealed by Pulling Force Studies

The mammalian prion protein (PrP) engages with the ribosome-Sec61 translocation channel complex to generate different topological variants that are either physiological, or involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we describe cotranslational folding and translocation mechanisms of PrP coupled to an Xbp1-based arrest peptide as folding sensor, to measure forces acting on PrP nascent chain. Our data reveal two main pulling events followed by a minor third one exerted on the nascent chains during their translocation. Using those force landscapes, we show that a specific sequence within an intrinsically disordered region, containing a polybasic and glycine-proline rich residues, modulates the second pulling event by interacting with TRAP complex. This work also delineates the sequence of events involved in generation of PrP toxic transmembrane topologies during its synthesis. Our results shed new insight into the folding of such a topological complex protein, where marginal pulling by the signal sequence, together with the flanking downstream sequence in the mature domain, primarily drives an overall inefficient translocation resulting in the nascent chain to adopt alternative topologies.

Supporting data on prion protein translocation mechanism revealed by pulling force studies

The Prion protein (PrP) is a highly conserved cell surface glycoprotein. To enter the secretory pathway, the PrP precursor relies on the Sec61 complex and multiple accessory factors all gathering at the membrane of the Endoplasmic reticulum (ER). PrP topogenesis results in the formation of different PrP isoforms. Aside from the typical secretory variant (^SecPrP) different pathognomonic, membrane-embedded variants (^NtmPrP and ^CtmPrP) that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases can be found [1]. In this article, we provide supportive data related to "Prion Protein Translocation Mechanism Revealed by Pulling Force Studies" (Kriegler et al., May 2020)[2], where we utilize Xbp1 arrest peptide (AP)-mediated ribosomal stalling to study the co-translational folding experienced by PrP during its insertion into the ER. We measure translocation efficiency and characterize the force exerted on PrP nascent chain so called "pulling force profile". Here, we describe the method of AP-mediated ribosomal stalling assay together with additional experimental data to the main article. Furthermore, we describe the combination of AP-mediated ribosomal stalling and semi-permeabilized Hela cells (SPCs) as ER membrane source. Using this experimental set-up one can directly determine the contribution of a specific membrane component, e.g. subunits of the ER protein translocase, as pulling factor exerting force on the PrP nascent chain. The data presented here covers (a) the SDS-PAGE gel images visualized by autoradiography, (b) quantification of the different populations of PrP species observed in the AP-mediated ribosomal stalling method, and (c) calculation formulas of the pulling force profiles measured in SPCs in comparison to dog pancreas microsomes as ER membrane donor. Finally, Western Blot analysis and quantification of siRNA knockdown levels compared to control conditions of various translocation components are shown.

Regulators of Viral Frameshifting: More Than RNA Influences Translation Events

Programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) is a conserved translational recoding mechanism found in all branches of life and viruses. In bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes PRF is used to downregulate protein production by inducing a premature termination of translation, which triggers messenger RNA (mRNA) decay. In viruses, PRF is used to drive the production of a new protein while downregulating the production of another protein, thus maintaining a stoichiometry optimal for productive infection. Traditionally, PRF motifs have been defined by the characteristics of two cis elements: a slippery heptanucleotide sequence followed by an RNA pseudoknot or stem-loop within the mRNA. Recently, additional cis and new trans elements have been identified that regulate PRF in both host and viral translation. These additional factors suggest PRF is an evolutionarily conserved process whose function and regulation we are just beginning to understand.

The folding and unfolding behavior of ribonuclease H on the ribosome

The health of a cell depends on accurate translation and proper protein folding, whereas misfolding can lead to aggregation and disease. The first opportunity for a protein to fold occurs during translation, when the ribosome and surrounding environment can affect the nascent chain energy landscape. However, quantifying these environmental effects is challenging because ribosomal proteins and rRNA preclude most spectroscopic measurements of protein energetics. Here, we have applied two gel-based approaches, pulse proteolysis and force-profile analysis, to probe the folding and unfolding pathways of RNase H (RNH) nascent chains stalled on the prokaryotic ribosome in vitro. We found that ribosome-stalled RNH has an increased unfolding rate compared with free RNH. Because protein stability is related to the ratio of the unfolding and folding rates, this increase completely accounts for the observed change in protein stability and indicates that the folding rate is unchanged. Using arrest peptide–based force-profile analysis, we assayed the force generated during the folding of RNH on the ribosome. Surprisingly, we found that population of the RNH folding intermediate is required to generate sufficient force to release a stall induced by the SecM stalling sequence and that readthrough of SecM directly correlates with the stability of the RNH folding intermediate. Together, these results imply that the folding pathway of RNH is unchanged on the ribosome. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the ribosome promotes RNH unfolding while the nascent chain is proximal to the ribosome, which may limit the deleterious effects of RNH misfolding and assist in folding fidelity.

Tree of motility - A proposed history of motility systems in the tree of life

Motility often plays a decisive role in the survival of species. Five systems of motility have been studied in depth: those propelled by bacterial flagella, eukaryotic actin polymerization and the eukaryotic motor proteins myosin, kinesin and dynein. However, many organisms exhibit surprisingly diverse motilities, and advances in genomics, molecular biology and imaging have showed that those motilities have inherently independent mechanisms. This makes defining the breadth of motility nontrivial, because novel motilities may be driven by unknown mechanisms. Here, we classify the known motilities based on the unique classes of movement‐producing protein architectures. Based on this criterion, the current total of independent motility systems stands at 18 types. In this perspective, we discuss these modes of motility relative to the latest phylogenetic Tree of Life and propose a history of motility. During the ~4 billion years since the emergence of life, motility arose in Bacteria with flagella and pili, and in Archaea with archaella. Newer modes of motility became possible in Eukarya with changes to the cell envelope. Presence or absence of a peptidoglycan layer, the acquisition of robust membrane dynamics, the enlargement of cells and environmental opportunities likely provided the context for the (co)evolution of novel types of motility.

Cotranslational folding cooperativity of contiguous domains of α-spectrin

Proteins synthesized in the cell can begin to fold during translation before the entire polypeptide has been produced, which may be particularly relevant to the folding of multidomain proteins. Here, we study the cotranslational folding of adjacent domains from the cytoskeletal protein α-spectrin using force profile analysis (FPA). Specifically, we investigate how the cotranslational folding behavior of the R15 and R16 domains are affected by their neighboring R14 and R16, and R15 and R17 domains, respectively. Our results show that the domains impact each other's folding in distinct ways that may be important for the efficient assembly of α-spectrin, and may reduce its dependence on chaperones. Furthermore, we directly relate the experimentally observed yield of full-length protein in the FPA assay to the force exerted by the folding protein in piconewtons. By combining pulse-chase experiments to measure the rate at which the arrested protein is converted into full-length protein with a Bell model of force-induced rupture, we estimate that the R16 domain exerts a maximal force on the nascent chain of ∼15 pN during cotranslational folding.

Co-translational insertion and topogenesis of bacterial membrane proteins monitored in real time

Integral membrane proteins insert into the bacterial inner membrane co‐translationally via the translocon. Transmembrane (TM) segments of nascent proteins adopt their native topological arrangement with the N‐terminus of the first TM (TM1) oriented to the outside (type I) or the inside (type II) of the cell. Here, we study TM1 topogenesis during ongoing translation in a bacterial in vitro system, applying real‐time FRET and protease protection assays. We find that TM1 of the type I protein LepB reaches the translocon immediately upon emerging from the ribosome. In contrast, the type II protein EmrD requires a longer nascent chain before TM1 reaches the translocon and adopts its topology by looping inside the ribosomal peptide exit tunnel. Looping presumably is mediated by interactions between positive charges at the N‐terminus of TM1 and negative charges in the tunnel wall. Early TM1 inversion is abrogated by charge reversal at the N‐terminus. Kinetic analysis also shows that co‐translational membrane insertion of TM1 is intrinsically rapid and rate‐limited by translation. Thus, the ribosome has an important role in membrane protein topogenesis.