Two regions of mature periplasmic maltose-binding protein of Escherichia coli involved in secretion.

Six mutations in malE, the structural gene for the periplasmic maltose-binding protein (MBP) from Escherichia coli, prevent growth on maltose as a carbon source, as well as release of the mutant proteins by the cold osmotic-shock procedure. These mutations correspond to insertion of an oligonucleotide linker, concomitant with a deletion. One of the mutations (malE127) affects the N-terminal extension (the signal peptide), whereas the five others lie within the mature protein.