RESUMO
Cotranslational processing of newly synthesized proteins is fundamental for correct protein maturation. Protein biogenesis factors are thought to bind nascent polypeptides not before they exit the ribosomal tunnel. Here, we identify a nascent chain recognition mechanism deep inside the ribosomal tunnel by an essential eukaryotic cytosolic chaperone. The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) inserts the N-terminal tail of its ß subunit (N-ßNAC) into the ribosomal tunnel to sense substrates directly upon synthesis close to the peptidyl-transferase center. N-ßNAC escorts the growing polypeptide to the cytosol and relocates to an alternate binding site on the ribosomal surface. Using C. elegans as an in vivo model, we demonstrate that the tunnel-probing activity of NAC is essential for organismal viability and critical to regulate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein transport by controlling ribosome-Sec61 translocon interactions. Thus, eukaryotic protein maturation relies on the early sampling of nascent chains inside the ribosomal tunnel.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans/biossíntese , Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolismo , Retículo Endoplasmático/metabolismo , Biossíntese de Proteínas , Ribossomos/metabolismo , Canais de Translocação SEC/metabolismo , Animais , Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Retículo Endoplasmático/genética , Humanos , Ribossomos/genética , Canais de Translocação SEC/genética , Saccharomyces cerevisiaeRESUMO
The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a conserved ribosome-associated protein biogenesis factor. Whether NAC exerts chaperone activity and whether this function is restricted to de novo protein synthesis is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that NAC directly exerts chaperone activity toward structurally diverse model substrates including polyglutamine (PolyQ) proteins, firefly luciferase, and Aß40. Strikingly, we identified the positively charged ribosome-binding domain in the N terminus of the ßNAC subunit (N-ßNAC) as a major chaperone entity of NAC. N-ßNAC by itself suppressed aggregation of PolyQ-expanded proteins in vitro, and the positive charge of this domain was critical for this activity. Moreover, we found that NAC also exerts a ribosome-independent chaperone function in vivo. Consistently, we found that a substantial fraction of NAC is non-ribosomal bound in higher eukaryotes. In sum, NAC is a potent suppressor of aggregation and proteotoxicity of mutant PolyQ-expanded proteins associated with human diseases like Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxias.
Assuntos
Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/genética , Chaperonas Moleculares/genética , Agregação Patológica de Proteínas/genética , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/química , Sítios de Ligação/genética , Humanos , Doença de Huntington/genética , Doença de Huntington/patologia , Luciferases/química , Luciferases/genética , Chaperonas Moleculares/química , Peptídeos/química , Peptídeos/genética , Ligação Proteica/genética , Biossíntese de Proteínas/genética , Domínios Proteicos/genética , Dobramento de Proteína , Ribossomos/genética , Ataxias Espinocerebelares/genética , Ataxias Espinocerebelares/patologiaRESUMO
Many antibiotics target the ribosome and interfere with its translation cycle. Since translation is the source of all cellular proteins including ribosomal proteins, protein synthesis and ribosome assembly are interdependent. As a consequence, the activity of translation inhibitors might indirectly cause defective ribosome assembly. Due to the difficulty in distinguishing between direct and indirect effects, and because assembly is probably a target in its own right, concepts are needed to identify small molecules that directly inhibit ribosome assembly. Here, we summarize the basic facts of ribosome targeting antibiotics. Furthermore, we present an in vivo screening strategy that focuses on ribosome assembly by a direct fluorescence based read-out that aims to identify and characterize small molecules acting as primary assembly inhibitors.
