Efficient Catalysis of Protein Folding by GroEL/ES of the Obligate Chaperonin Substrate MetF

Elucidating the novel mechanisms of molecular chaperones by single-molecule technologies

Molecular chaperones play central roles in sustaining protein homeostasis and preventing protein aggregation. Most studies of these systems have been performed in bulk, providing averaged measurements, though recent single-molecule approaches have provided an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms of their activities and structural rearrangements during substrate recognition. Chaperone activities have been observed to be substrate specific, with some associated with ATP-dependent structural dynamics and others via interactions with co-chaperones. This Review aims to describe the novel mechanisms of molecular chaperones as revealed by single-molecule approaches, and to provide insights into their functioning and its implications for protein homeostasis and human diseases.

A temporal gradient of cytonuclear coordination of chaperonins and chaperones during RuBisCo biogenesis in allopolyploid plants

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo), consisting of subunits encoded by nuclear and cytoplasmic genes, is a model for cytonuclear evolution in plant allopolyploids. To date, coordinated cytonuclear evolutionary responses of auxiliary cofactors involved in RuBisCo biogenesis remain unexplored. This study characterized and compared genomic and transcriptional cytonuclear coevolutionary responses of chaperonin/chaperones in RuBisCo folding and assembly processes across different allopolyploids. We discovered significant cytonuclear evolutionary responses in folding cofactors, with diminishing or attenuated responses later during assembly. Our results have general significance for understanding the unrecognized cytonuclear evolution of chaperonin/chaperone genes, structural and functional features of intermediate complexes, and the functioning stage of the Raf2 cofactor. Generally, the results reveal a hitherto unexplored dimension of allopolyploidy in plants.

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) has long been studied from many perspectives. As a multisubunit (large subunits [LSUs] and small subunits[SSUs]) protein encoded by genes residing in the chloroplast (rbcL) and nuclear (rbcS) genomes, RuBisCo also is a model for cytonuclear coevolution following allopolyploid speciation in plants. Here, we studied the genomic and transcriptional cytonuclear coordination of auxiliary chaperonin and chaperones that facilitate RuBisCo biogenesis across multiple natural and artificially synthesized plant allopolyploids. We found similar genomic and transcriptional cytonuclear responses, including respective paternal-to-maternal conversions and maternal homeologous biased expression, in chaperonin/chaperon-assisted folding and assembly of RuBisCo in different allopolyploids. One observation is about the temporally attenuated genomic and transcriptional cytonuclear evolutionary responses during early folding and later assembly process of RuBisCo biogenesis, which were established by long-term evolution and immediate onset of allopolyploidy, respectively. Our study not only points to the potential widespread and hitherto unrecognized features of cytonuclear evolution but also bears implications for the structural interaction interface between LSU and Cpn60 chaperonin and the functioning stage of the Raf2 chaperone.

Conserved and divergent chaperoning effects of Hsp60/10 chaperonins on protein folding landscapes

The GroEL/ES chaperonin cavity surface charge properties, especially the negative charges, play an important role in its capacity to assist intracavity protein folding. Remarkably, the larger fraction of GroEL/ES negative charges are not conserved among different bacterial species, resulting in a large variation in negative-charge density in the GroEL/ES cavity across prokaryotes. Intriguingly, eukaryotic GroEL/ES homologs have the lowest negative-charge density in the chaperonin cavity. This prompted us to investigate if GroEL’s chaperoning mechanism changed during evolution. Using a model in vivo GroEL/ES substrate, we show that the ability of GroEL/ES to buffer entropic traps in the folding pathway of its substrate was partially dependent upon the negative-charge density inside its cavity. While this activity of GroEL/ES was found to be essential for Escherichia coli, it has been perfected in some organisms and diminished in others. However, irrespective of their charges, all the tested homologs retained their ability to regulate polypeptide chain collapse and remove enthalpic traps from folding pathways. The ability of these GroEL/ES homologs to buffer mutational variations in a model substrate correlated with their negative-charge density. Thus, Hsp60/10 chaperonins in different organisms may have changed to accommodate a different spectrum of mutations on their substrates.

Advances in Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry and the Pursuit of Challenging Biological Systems

Solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) is a widespread tool for structural analysis across academia and the biopharmaceutical industry. By monitoring the exchangeability of backbone amide protons, HDX-MS can reveal information about higher-order structure and dynamics throughout a protein, can track protein folding pathways, map interaction sites, and assess conformational states of protein samples. The combination of the versatility of the hydrogen/deuterium exchange reaction with the sensitivity of mass spectrometry has enabled the study of extremely challenging protein systems, some of which cannot be suitably studied using other techniques. Improvements over the past three decades have continually increased throughput, robustness, and expanded the limits of what is feasible for HDX-MS investigations. To provide an overview for researchers seeking to utilize and derive the most from HDX-MS for protein structural analysis, we summarize the fundamental principles, basic methodology, strengths and weaknesses, and the established applications of HDX-MS while highlighting new developments and applications.

A Conceptual Framework for Integrating Cellular Protein Folding, Misfolding and Aggregation

How proteins properly fold and maintain solubility at the risk of misfolding and aggregation in the cellular environments still remains largely unknown. Aggregation has been traditionally treated as a consequence of protein folding (or misfolding). Notably, however, aggregation can be generally inhibited by affecting the intermolecular interactions leading to aggregation, independently of protein folding and conformation. We here point out that rigorous distinction between protein folding and aggregation as two independent processes is necessary to reconcile and underlie all observations regarding the combined cellular protein folding and aggregation. So far, the direct attractive interactions (e.g., hydrophobic interactions) between cellular macromolecules including chaperones and interacting polypeptides have been widely believed to mainly stabilize polypeptides against aggregation. However, the intermolecular repulsions by large excluded volume and surface charges of cellular macromolecules can play a key role in stabilizing their physically connected polypeptides against aggregation, irrespective of the connection types and induced conformational changes, underlying the generic intrinsic chaperone activity of cellular macromolecules. Such rigorous distinction and intermolecular repulsive force-driven aggregation inhibition by cellular macromolecules could give new insights into understanding the complex cellular protein landscapes that remain uncharted.

Bacterial RF3 senses chaperone function in co-translational folding

Molecular chaperones assist with protein folding by interacting with nascent polypeptide chains (NCs) during translation. Whether the ribosome can sense chaperone defects and, in response, abort translation of misfolding NCs has not yet been explored. Here we used quantitative proteomics to investigate the ribosome-associated chaperone network in E. coli and the consequences of its dysfunction. Trigger factor and the DnaK (Hsp70) system are the major NC-binding chaperones. HtpG (Hsp90), GroEL, and ClpB contribute increasingly when DnaK is deficient. Surprisingly, misfolding because of defects in co-translational chaperone function or amino acid analog incorporation results in recruitment of the non-canonical release factor RF3. RF3 recognizes aberrant NCs and then moves to the peptidyltransferase site to cooperate with RF2 in mediating chain termination, facilitating clearance by degradation. This function of RF3 reduces the accumulation of misfolded proteins and is critical for proteostasis maintenance and cell survival under conditions of limited chaperone availability.

A social distancing measure governing the whole proteome

Protein folding in vivo has been largely understood in the context of molecular chaperones preventing aggregation of nascent polypeptides in the crowded cellular environment. Nascent chains utilize the crowded environment in favor of productive folding by direct physical connection with cellular macromolecules. The intermolecular repulsive forces by large excluded volume and surface charges of interacting cellular macromolecules, exerting 'social distancing' measure among folding intermediates, could play an important role in stabilizing their physically connected polypeptides against aggregation regardless of the physical connection types. The generic intrinsic chaperone activity of cellular macromolecules likely provides a robust cellular environment for the productive protein folding and solubility maintenance at the whole proteome level.

Recent advances in understanding catalysis of protein folding by molecular chaperones

Molecular chaperones are highly conserved proteins that promote proper folding of other proteins in vivo. Diverse chaperone systems assist de novo protein folding and trafficking, the assembly of oligomeric complexes, and recovery from stress-induced unfolding. A fundamental function of molecular chaperones is to inhibit unproductive protein interactions by recognizing and protecting hydrophobic surfaces that are exposed during folding or following proteotoxic stress. Beyond this basic principle, it is now clear that chaperones can also actively and specifically accelerate folding reactions in an ATP-dependent manner. We focus on the bacterial Hsp70 and chaperonin systems as paradigms, and review recent work that has advanced our understanding of how these chaperones act as catalysts of protein folding.