Crystal structure of the open conformation of the mammalian chaperonin CCT in complex with tubulin

Inés G Muñoz, Hugo Yébenes, Min Zhou, Pablo Mesa, Marina Serna, Ah Young Park, Elisabeth Bragado-Nilsson, Ana Beloso, Guillermo de Cárcer, Marcos Malumbres, Carol V Robinson, José M Valpuesta, Guillermo Montoya

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

113 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Protein folding is assisted by molecular chaperones. CCT (chaperonin containing TCP-1, or TRiC) is a 1-MDa oligomer that is built by two rings comprising eight different 60-kDa subunits. This chaperonin regulates the folding of important proteins including actin, α-tubulin and β-tubulin. We used an electron density map at 5.5 Å resolution to reconstruct CCT, which showed a substrate in the inner cavities of both rings. Here we present the crystal structure of the open conformation of this nanomachine in complex with tubulin, providing information about the mechanism by which it aids tubulin folding. The structure showed that the substrate interacts with loops in the apical and equatorial domains of CCT. The organization of the ATP-binding pockets suggests that the substrate is stretched inside the cavity. Our data provide the basis for understanding the function of this chaperonin.

Original languageEnglish
JournalNature Structural & Molecular Biology
Volume18
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)14-9
Number of pages6
ISSN1545-9993
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2011

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Cattle
  • Chaperonin Containing TCP-1/chemistry
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein Subunits/chemistry
  • Tubulin/chemistry

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