The outer membrane component, YscC, of the Yop secretion machinery of Yersinia enterocolitica forms a ring-shaped multimeric complex

The YscC protein of Yersinia enterocolitica is essential for the secretion of anti-host factors, called Yops, into the extracellular environment. It belongs to a family of outer membrane proteins, collectively designated secretins, that participate in a variety of transport processes. YscC has been shown to exist as a stable oligomeric complex in the outer membrane. The production of the YscC complex is regulated by temperature and is reduced in strains carrying mutations in the yscN-U operon or in the virG gene. The VirG lipoprotein was shown to be required for efficient targeting of the complex to the outer membrane. Electron microscopy revealed that purified YscC complexes form ring-shaped structures of approximately 20 nm with an apparent central pore. Because of the architecture of the multimer, YscC appears to represent a novel type of channel-forming proteins in the bacterial outer membrane.