CELL BIOLOGY: CELL SECRETIONS

Secretion is a fundamental cellular process involving the regulated

release of intracellular products from cells (both prokaryotic and
Eukaryotic cells). Physiological functions such as neurotransmission, or
the release of hormones and digestive enzymes, are all governed by cell
secretion in eukaryotic system. In prokaryotic system Secreted or
membrane-associated proteins play a crucial role in many functions
that are essential for viability and pathogenicity: cell structure
maintenance, motility, cell attachment, metabolite transport, cell-
cell interactions, and export of toxins.
PROKARYOTIC SYSTEM:

Bacterial pathogens utilize a multitude of methods to invade mammalian

hosts, damage tissue sites, and neutralize the immune system from
responding. One essential component of these strategies for many
bacterial pathogens is the secretion of proteins across phospholipid
membranes. Secreted proteins can play many roles in promoting
bacterial virulence such as

 Enhancing attachment to eukaryotic cells,
 Interfere with target cell metabolism
 Directly intoxicating target cells disrupting their functions.
Many pathogens use protein secretion systems to secrete virulence
factors from the cytosol of the bacteria into host cells or the host
environment. In general, bacterial protein secretion apparatuses can be
divided into different classes, based on their structures, functions, and
specificity. Some systems are conserved (common) in all classes of
bacteria and secrete a broad array of substrates, while others are only
found in a small number of bacterial species and/or are specific to only
one or a few proteins.
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Figure 1: Cell wall of Gram-positive (A) and Gram-negative bacteria
(B).
The cell wall Gram negative bacteria has inner membrane (plasma
membrane or cytoplasmic membrane) and outer membrane, where as
Gram-positive bacteria do not possess outer membrane. So, cell secretion
in Gram-negative bacteria is more complex in comparison to Gram
positive bacteria. In terms of complexity and possession and diversity of
different types of cell secretion-the sequence is

Gram-negative > Gram-positive > Eukaryotic cells

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Figure-2: Relative complexity and diversity of cell secretions in
different types of cells.
.
Periplasmic space.
Cell secretion in bacteria via periplasmic space has two steps
Step-1: Crossing of the outer membrane by the materials to be secreted
from the periplasmic space, then follow (using Sec and Tat system)
Step-2: Crossing of inner membrane by the materials to be secreted from
inside of the cell to periplasmic space (using T2SS and T5SS).

Two secretion systems are involved in Step-1: Sec and Tat.

Sec delivers proteins in unfolded state
Tat Delivers proteins in folded state
Eight secretion systems are involved in Step-2. These are
Type-1 secretion system (T1SS) to Type-8 secretion system (T8SS).
Cell secretion in bacteria bypassing periplasmic can via several secretion
systems (T1SS, T3SS, T4SS, T6SS-T8SS)
CELL SECRETION IN EUKARYOTES
Protein secretion from eukaryotic cells can take several forms. Secretion is
constitutive if proteins are secreted as fast as they are synthesized. In
regulated secretion newly synthesized proteins destined for secretion are
stored at high concentration in secretory vesicles until the cell receives an
appropriate signal. Both constitutive and regulated protein secretion can take
place in the same cell.

Terminology
Ligand
Any molecule or atom that binds to a receiving protein molecule, known as a

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receptor
Receptor:
A molecule inside or on the surface of a cell that binds to a specific
substance (ligand) leading to specific effect in the cell
Conformation
3-D arrangement of amino acids in proteins
Kinase
An enzyme that adds phosphate group to molecule
Phosphatase
An enzyme that removes phosphate group
Signal transduction
POROSOME:
Lipoprotein (Lipid + Protein complex) structures
in the cell membrane where secretory vesicles (containing
materials to be secreted) dock and fuse to release,
the contents out the cell.
Secretion
A fundamental cellular process involving the regulated release of
intracellular products from cells
Excretion
Expelling of waste products from the cell
Transmembrane protein
Part of the protein is inside the cell and part of the protein is outside of the
cell.
Chaperon
Help protein in folding and stay in folded state
Zymogen
Inactive precursor form of a molecule which gives rise to active form when
stimulated
Golgi Body
Cell organelle involved in post-transcriptional modification of protein and
machining these ready for secretion
Pathotypes of bacteria
Bacteria belonging to the same genus and same species but cause different
pathological effect in the host