Enzyme secretion designates the directed translocation of an enzyme from its cytoplasmic site of synthesis across the cell envelope into the extracellular environment or, in eukaryotic cells, into the lumen of the secretory pathway. The defining molecular requirement is an N-terminal signal peptide that routes the polypeptide to the Sec translocon or an alternative export machinery, where translocation occurs and the signal peptide is subsequently removed by signal peptidase [1][2]. In biotechnology, the term encompasses native export of hydrolytic enzymes by microbial production hosts and engineered secretion of homologous or heterologous enzymes into the culture medium [3][4]. Essential components include the target enzyme, a compatible signal sequence, the membrane-embedded translocation apparatus, and accessory chaperones and processing proteases that maintain secretion competence [2][5]. Secretion efficiency is governed by compatibility among the signal peptide, the mature enzyme sequence, and host quality-control checkpoints along the export route [1][3].
Enzyme Production and Characterization·Biotechnology·Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology·Life Sciences