A GTP binding protein of Mycoplasma hominis:: a small sized homolog to the signal recognition particle receptor FtsY

A protein homologous to the Escherichia coli FtsY which in turn has characteristics in common with the alpha-subunit of the eukaryotic signal recognition particle receptor (SR alpha) in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, was identified in Mycoplasma hominis and its encoding DNA sequenced. The aa similarity to E. coli FtsY and B. subtilis FtsY was 38% and 51%, respectively. The protein was synthesized in E. coli, purified and shown to bind GTP. Subcellular localization studies revealed that M. hominis FtsY was associated with the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane. The molecular mass of M. hominis FtsY was 39.1, which was significantly smaller than FtsY from the Gram-E. coli. Analysis of the primary structure showed that M. hominis FtsY had no counterpart to the N-terminal part in E. coli FtsY or mammalian SR alpha, which for the last-mentioned are known to comprise the membrane-anchoring fragment. Comparison of sequenced SR alpha homologue indicates that M. hominis together with Bacillus subtilis comprise a distinct cluster of similar small SRP receptors. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.