Crystal Structure of YaeT: Conformational Flexibility and Substrate Recognition

The envelope of Gram-negative bacteria consists of inner and outer membranes surrounding the peptidoglycan wall. The outer membrane (OM) is rich in integral membrane proteins (OMPs), which have a characteristic 0 barrel domain embedded in the OM. The Omp85 family of proteins, ubiquitous among Gram-negative bacteria and also present in chloroplasts and mitochondria, is required for folding and insertion of OMPs into the outer membrane. Bacterial Omp85 proteins are characterized by a periplasmic domain containing five repeats of polypeptide transport-associated (POTRA) motifs. Here we report the crystal structure of a periplasmic fragment of YaeT (the Escherichia coli Omp85) containing the first four POTRA domains in an extended conformation consistent with recent solution X-ray scattering data. Analysis of the YaeT structure reveals conformational flexibility around a hinge point between POTRA:2 and 3 domains. The structure's implications for substrate binding and folding mechanisms are also discussed.