Most membrane proteins are targeted via signal recognition particle (SRP) to protein transport channels in the membrane. However, in an alternative approach, mRNA can bind directly to the protein transport channels and the translated proteins are then directly integrated. A research team led by SFB 1381 PI Hans-Georg Koch and including SFB PIs Claudine Kraft and Annegret Wilde showed that this process happens independent from the SRP pathway and depends on the nucleotide content and the secondary structure within the mRNA. It can serve as an alternative pathway for integrating proteins into membranes when the SRP pathway is compromised.
Please find more information in the original publication in Cell Reports.
Illustration: Hans-Georg Koch (created with BioRender.com)
