{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "64c679e13f6c41dbb14953b092b0892e", "timestamp": "2026-08-20T20:45:30.499Z", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/64c679e13f6c41dbb14953b092b0892e.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/64c679e13f6c41dbb14953b092b0892e"}}, "title": "Upstream charged and hydrophobic residues impact the timing of membrane insertion of transmembrane helices.", "authors": [{"family": "Nicolaus", "given": "Felix", "initials": "F"}, {"family": "Ibrahimi", "given": "Fatima", "initials": "F"}, {"family": "den Besten", "given": "Anne", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "von Heijne", "given": "Gunnar", "initials": "G", "orcid": "0000-0002-4490-8569", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/529a460e668a479ca7d9b9271375ef9f.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2022-04-00", "journal": {"title": "FEBS Lett.", "issn": "1873-3468", "volume": "596", "issue": "8", "pages": "1004-1012", "issn-l": "0014-5793"}, "abstract": "During SecYEG-mediated cotranslational insertion of membrane proteins, transmembrane helices (TMHs) first make contact with the membrane when their N-terminal end is ~ 45 residues away from the peptidyl transferase centre. However, we recently uncovered instances where the first contact is delayed by up to ~ 10 residues. Here, we recapitulate these effects using a model TMH fused to two short segments from the Escherichia coli inner membrane protein BtuC: a positively charged loop and a re-entrant loop. We show that the critical residues are two Arg residues in the positively charged loop and four hydrophobic residues in the re-entrant loop. Thus, both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions involving sequence elements that are not part of a TMH can impact the way the latter behaves during membrane insertion.", "doi": "10.1002/1873-3468.14286", "pmid": "35038773", "labels": [], "xrefs": [], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-20T06:25:23.608Z", "modified": "2026-08-20T06:25:23.666Z"}