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One of the strategies used by Gram-negative bacteria to secrete proteins across the two membranes which delimit the cells is sec-independent and dedicated to proteins lacking an N-terminal signal peptide. Most of these proteins display a C-terminal secretion signal located in the last 60 amino acids (aa). Using one Erwinia chrysanthemi protease, PrtG, secreted by such a pathway it was shown that the smallest C-terminal sequence allowing efficient secretion contains the last 29 aa of PrtG and that low but significant secretion can be promoted by the last 15 aa of PrtG. Moreover, the extreme C-terminal motif, consisting of a negatively charged aa followed by several hydrophobic aa must be exposed and is conserved amongst many proteins following this pathway. This secretion system depends on ABC protein-mediated exporters, which consist of three cell envelope proteins: two inner membrane proteins, an …