CAPRIN1P512L causes aberrant protein aggregation and associates with early-onset ataxia.

CAPRIN1 is a ubiquitously expressed protein, abundant in the brain, where it regulates the transport and translation of mRNAs of genes involved in synaptic plasticity. Here we describe two unrelated children, who developed early-onset ataxia, dysarthria, cognitive decline and muscle weakness. Trio exome sequencing unraveled the identical de novo c.1535C > T (p.Pro512Leu) missense variant in CAPRIN1, affecting a highly conserved residue. In silico analyses predict an increased aggregation propensity of the mutated protein. Indeed, overexpressed CAPRIN1P512L forms insoluble ubiquitinated aggregates, sequestrating proteins associated with neurodegenerative disorders (ATXN2, GEMIN5, SNRNP200 and SNCA). Moreover, the CAPRIN1P512L mutation in isogenic iPSC-derived cortical neurons causes reduced neuronal activity and altered stress granule dynamics. Furthermore, nano-differential scanning fluorimetry reveals that CAPRIN1P512L aggregation is strongly enhanced by RNA in vitro. These findings associate the gain-of-function Pro512Leu mutation to early-onset ataxia and neurodegeneration, unveiling a critical residue of CAPRIN1 and a key role of RNA-protein interactions.

Assembly and targeting of secretins in the bacterial outer membrane.

In Gram-negative bacteria, secretion of toxins ensure the survival of the bacterium. Such toxins are secreted by sophisticated multiprotein systems. The most conserved part in some of these secretion systems are components, called secretins, which form the outer membrane ring in these systems. Recent structural studies shed some light on the oligomeric organization of secretins. However, the mechanisms by which these proteins are targeted to the outer membrane and assemble there into ring structures are still not fully understood. This review discusses the various species-specific targeting and assembly pathways that are taken by secretins in order to form their functional oligomers.

Author Correction: Genome-wide SWAp-Tag yeast libraries for proteome exploration.

The version of Supplementary Table 1 originally published online with this article contained incorrect localization annotations for one plate. This error has been corrected in the online Supplementary Information.

Yeast can express and assemble bacterial secretins in the mitochondrial outer membrane.

Secretins form large multimeric pores in the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria. These pores are part of type II and III secretion systems (T2SS and T3SS, respectively) and are crucial for pathogenicity. Recent structural studies indicate that secretins form a structure rich in ß-strands. However, little is known about the mechanism by which secretins assemble into the OM. Based on the conservation of the biogenesis of ß-barrel proteins in bacteria and mitochondria, we used yeast cells as a model system to study the assembly process of secretins. To that end, we analyzed the biogenesis of PulD (T2SS), SsaC (T3SS) and InvG (T3SS) in wild type cells or in cells mutated for known mitochondrial import and assembly factors. Our results suggest that secretins can be expressed in yeast cells, where they are enriched in the mitochondrial fraction. Interestingly, deletion of mitochondrial import receptors like Tom20 and Tom70 reduces the mitochondrial association of PulD but does not affect that of InvG. SsaC shows another dependency pattern and its membrane assembly is enhanced by the absence of Tom70 and compromised in cells lacking Tom20 or the topogenesis of outer membrane ß-barrel proteins (TOB) complex component, Mas37. Collectively, these findings suggest that various secretins can follow different pathways to assemble into the bacterial OM.

Genome-wide SWAp-Tag yeast libraries for proteome exploration.

Yeast libraries revolutionized the systematic study of cell biology. To extensively increase the number of such libraries, we used our previously devised SWAp-Tag (SWAT) approach to construct a genome-wide library of ~5,500 strains carrying the SWAT NOP1promoter-GFP module at the N terminus of proteins. In addition, we created six diverse libraries that restored the native regulation, created an overexpression library with a Cherry tag, or enabled protein complementation assays from two fragments of an enzyme or fluorophore. We developed methods utilizing these SWAT collections to systematically characterize the yeast proteome for protein abundance, localization, topology, and interactions.

Biochemical characterization of the tandem HAMP domain from Natronomonas pharaonis as an intraprotein signal transducer.

Available structures of HAMP domains suggest rotation as one potential mechanism in intraprotein signal transduction. It has been proposed that in poly-HAMP modules the signal sign is inverted with each additional HAMP. We examined signal transduction through the HAMP tandem domain from the phototaxis transducer of the halophilic archaeon Natronomonas pharaonis in membrane-bound chimeras consisting of the Escherichia coli chemotaxis receptor for serine, Tsr, as an input and the mycobacterial adenylyl cyclase Rv3645 as an output domain, i.e. the basic chimera was 'Tsr-NpHAMP tandem-Rv3645 cyclase'. Neither of the NpHAMP units alone nor the NpHAMP tandem transduced a serine signal. After five targeted point mutations in the first α-helix of NpHAMP1 , the non-functional NpHAMP modules combined into a functional HAMP tandem. 1 mm serine significantly inhibited cyclase activity (-35%; IC50  = 30 µm) in disagreement with the structure-based predictions. Surprisingly, replacement of NpAS11 in the tandem by the respective AS1 from HAMPT sr resulted in signal inversion, i.e. serine activated cyclase (+129%; EC50  = 10 µm). Examination of 48 mutants of AS11 in the HAMP tandem including two residues of a putative N-terminal control cable identified five residues in NpAS11 which probably define different ground states of the output domain and thus affect the sign of signal output. The data question the predicted HAMP rotation as the predominant mechanism of intraprotein signal transduction and point to as yet unrecognized conformational motions of HAMP domains in intraprotein signaling.

Regulated unfolding: a basic principle of intraprotein signaling in modular proteins.

Modular proteins possess N-terminal sensor domains connected with different C-terminal output domains. Different output domains, for example, phosphodiesterases adenylyl cyclases, are regulated by identical N-terminal domains. Therefore, the mechanisms of intraprotein signaling share properties suitable to regulation of disparate output enzymes, which see the same signal but react differently. The common denominator is a reversible switch of folding/unfolding that connects sensor and output domains. In the inhibited state, output domains are restrained, whereas in the activated state domains are released to assemble according to intrinsic domain properties. We review recent work investigating the mechanism of intraprotein signaling and discuss how this signaling mechanism may have contributed to the evolutionary diversity of specific small molecule-binding domains without loss of regulatory properties.