Periplasmic protein associated with the oligopeptide permeases of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli.

A periplasmic protein essential for the function of the oligopeptide transport system of Salmonella typhimurium was identified. This protein, encoded by the oppA gene, is one of the most abundant proteins in the periplasm and, with an apparent molecular weight of 52,000, is considerably larger than any other known periplasmic transport component. A similarly abundant periplasmic protein forms part of the oligopeptide transport system of Escherichia coli.