Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Residues in chaperonin GroEL required for polypeptide binding and release

Abstract

CHAPERONINS are ring-shaped protein complexes that are essential in the cell, mediating ATP-dependent polypeptide folding in a vari-ety of compartments1–3. Recent studies suggest that they function through multiple rounds of binding and release of non-native proteins: with each round of ATP-driven release into the bulk solution, a substrate protein kinetically partitions between folding to the native state or rebinding to another chaperonin molecule4–6. To gain further insight into the mechanism of polypeptide binding and release by the chaperonin GroEL from Escherichia coli, we have undertaken a mutational analysis that relates the functional prop-erties of GroEL to its crystal structure7. Our functional tests iden-tify a putative polypeptide-binding site on the inside surface of the apical domain, facing the central channel, consisting of hydropho-bic residues. These same residues are essential for binding of the co-chaperonin GroES, which is required for productive polypeptide release. A highly conserved residue, Asp 87, positioned within a putative nucleotide-binding pocket in the top of the equatorial domain, is essential for ATP hydrolysis and polypeptide release.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gething, M. J. & Sambrook, J. Nature 355, 33–45 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hendrick, J. P. & Hartl, F.-U. A. Rev. Biochem. 62, 349–384 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Horwich, A. L. & Willison, K. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B339, 313–326 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Todd, M. J., Viitanen, P. V. & Lorimer, G. H. Science 265, 659–666 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gao, Y. et al. J. Cell Biol. 125, 989–996 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Weissman, J. S., Kashi, Y., Fenton, W. A. & Horwich, A. L. Cell 78, 693–702 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Braig, K. et al. Nature 371, 578–586 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Horwich, A. L., Low, K. B., Hirshfield, I. N. & Furtak, K. Cell 74, 909–917 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cheng, M. Y. et al. Nature 337, 620–625 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Zheng, X., Rosenberg, L. E., Kalousek, F. & Fenton, W. A. J. Biol. Chem. 268, 7489–7493 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Martin, J. et al. Nature 352, 36–42 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Landry, S. et al. Nature 355, 455–457 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Chen, S. et al. Nature 371, 261–264 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Landry, S. J., Zeilstra-Ryalls, J., Fayet, O., Georgopoulos, C. & Gierasch, L. M. Nature 364, 255–258 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Palleros, D. R., Reid, K. L., Shi, L., Welch, W. J. & Fink, A. L. Nature 365, 664–666 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Gray, T. E. & Fersht, A. R. FEBS Lett. 292, 254–258 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bochkareva, E. S., Lissin, N. M., Flynn, G. C., Rothman, J. E. & Girshovich, A. S. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 6796–6800 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Jackson, G. S. et al. Biochemistry 32, 2554–2563 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Langer, T., Pfeifer, G., Martin, J., Baumeister, W. & Hartl, F. U. EMBO J. 11, 4757–4765 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Azem, A., Kessel, M. & Goloubinoff, P. Science 265, 653–656 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Schmidt, M. et al. Science 265, 656–659 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Trent, J. D., Nimmesgern, E., Wall, J. S., Hartl, F. U. & Horwich, A. L. Nature 354, 490–493 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fenton, W., Kashi, Y., Furtak, K. et al. Residues in chaperonin GroEL required for polypeptide binding and release. Nature 371, 614–619 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/371614a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/371614a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing