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Title: ATP-independent reversal of a membrane protein aggregate by a chloroplast SRP subunit

Journal Article · · Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.1836· OSTI ID:1002511

Membrane proteins impose enormous challenges to cellular protein homeostasis during their post-translational targeting, and they require chaperones to keep them soluble and translocation competent. Here we show that a novel targeting factor in the chloroplast signal recognition particle (cpSRP), cpSRP43, is a highly specific molecular chaperone that efficiently reverses the aggregation of its substrate proteins. In contrast to 'ATPases associated with various cellular activities' (AAA{sup +}) chaperones, cpSRP43 uses specific binding interactions with its substrate to mediate its 'disaggregase' activity. This disaggregase capability can allow targeting machineries to more effectively capture their protein substrates and emphasizes a close connection between protein folding and trafficking processes. Moreover, cpSRP43 provides the first example to our knowledge of an ATP-independent disaggregase and shows that efficient reversal of protein aggregation can be attained by specific binding interactions between a chaperone and its substrate.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1002511
Journal Information:
Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol., Vol. 17, Issue (6) ; 06, 2010
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH