Alteration of Membrane Physicochemical Properties by Two Factors for Membrane Protein Integration (Biophysical Journal)

After a nascent chain of a membrane protein emerges from the ribosomal tunnel, the protein is integrated into the cell membrane. This process is controlled by a series of proteinaceous molecular devices such as signal recognition particles and Sec translocons. In addition to these proteins, we discovered two endogenous components regulating membrane protein integration in the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. The integration is blocked by diacylglycerol (DAG), whereas the blocking is relieved by a glycolipid named MPIase (membrane protein integrase).