Carb loading takes proteins on a ride.

Cytoplasmic protein O -glycosylation in bacteria is often required for protein maturation, but the dependence of protein export on carbohydrate modifications is less understood. In the current issue of JBC , Chen et al. describe the mechanism for posttranslational modification of a Streptococcus gordonii adhesin and its delivery to the membrane, leading to the first comprehensive model featuring the interplay of glycosyltransferases and the translocation system.