Assembly in vivo of enterotoxin from Escherichia coli: Formation of the B subunit oligomer

Abstract

An oligomer of the B subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin of E. coli has been observed in minicells and in whole cells. There is a delay after synthesis of the B subunit before it appears in the oligomer. The delay is not due to slow processing of the precursor. A similar delay in oligomerization of the major outer membrane protein OmpF is also described.