(Reproduced with permission from the Chemical Abstracts Service) A review with 178 refs. on translocation of proteins through bacterial membranes. The development of ideas on the mechanism of this process (the signal hypothesis, the loop model, etc.) is followed. The differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes with respect to protein transport are discussed. Data for the involvement of biol. membranes in protein translocation are presented. The contribution of some new genetic approaches to the study of this process is summarized and the perspectives of using these methods to solve important theor. and practical problems (particularly for biotechnol.) are outlined.