Procaine, a Local Anesthetic Interacting with the Cell Membrane, Inhibits the Processing of Precursor Forms of Periplasmic Proteins in Escherichia coli (original) (raw)

Procaine, a local anesthetic, has been shown to interfere with the processing of precursor forms of periplasmic proteins in Escherichia coli. By using procaine, researchers observed an accumulation of precursor alkaline phosphatase and glutamine-binding protein, which suggests that procaine alters the molecular packing and fluidity of cell membranes. This alteration potentially inhibits the translocation and processing of exported proteins, suggesting a novel application for procaine in studying protein secretion mechanisms.