The Sec pathway, which transports proteins across membranes, is ubiquitous and essential for viability in all three domains of life. At the core of the pathway is the translocase, a dynamic nanomachine that catalyses transmembrane crossing. This Review considers the latest data on the structure and function of the bacterial Sec translocase.
- Effrosyni Papanikou
- Spyridoula Karamanou
- Anastassios Economou