The C-terminal BAG domain of BAG5 induces conformational changes of the Hsp70 nucleotide-binding domain for ADP-ATP exchange.

ADP-ATP exchange by the molecular chaperone Hsp70 is enhanced by several cochaperones. BAG5 consists of five BAG domains and associates with the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of Hsp70. The overexpression of BAG5 in the cytosol reportedly disturbs Hsp70-mediated protein refolding and induces Parkinson's disease. In the present study, we found that the fifth BAG domain (BD5) of BAG5 is responsible for the interaction between Hsp70 and BAG5. We also determined the crystal structures of the BD5*NBD complex. BD5 binding caused two different types of NBD conformational changes, which both disrupted the nucleotide-binding groove. In fact, BD5 reduced the affinity of the NBD for ADP. Moreover, BD5, as well as the full-length BAG5, accelerated Hsp70-mediated refolding in an in vitro assay. Therefore, BAG5 can function as the nucleotide exchange factor of Hsp70 for the enhancement of protein refolding.

Direct inter-subdomain interactions switch between the closed and open forms of the Hsp70 nucleotide-binding domain in the nucleotide-free state.

The 70 kDa heat-shock proteins (Hsp70s) are highly conserved chaperones that are involved in several cellular processes, such as protein folding, disaggregation and translocation. In this study, the crystal structures of the human Hsp70 nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) fragment were determined in the nucleotide-free state and in complex with adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate (AMPPNP). The structure of the nucleotide-free NBD fragment is similar to that of the AMPPNP-bound NBD fragment and is designated as the ;closed form'. In the nucleotide-free NBD fragment the closed form is intrinsically supported through interactions between Tyr15, Lys56 and Glu268 which connect subdomains IA, IB and IIB at the centre of the protein. Interaction with the substrate-binding domain (SBD) of Hsp70 or the BAG domain of BAG1 impairs this subdomain connection and triggers the rotation of subdomain IIA around a hydrophobic helix from subdomain IA. The subdomain rotation is limited by Asp199 and Asp206 from subdomain IIA and clearly defines the open form of the NBD. The open form is further stabilized by a new interaction between Gly230 from subdomain IIB and Ser340 from subdomain IIA. The structure of the NBD in the nucleotide-free state is determined by switching of the inter-subdomain interactions.