Translocon

The translocon (commonly known as a translocator or translocation channel) is the complex of proteins associated with the translocation of nascent polypeptides across membranes. In eukaryotes the polypeptides are transported into the interior (cisternal or luminal) space of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) from the cytosol. This process requires the protein to cross a hydrophobic lipid bilayer. In prokaryotes, a similar protein complex transports polypeptides across the plasma membrane. Bacterial pathogens can assemble translocons in their host membranes, allowing them to export virulence factors into their target cells.