¹H, ¹⁵N and ¹³C backbone resonance assignments of the TPR1 and TPR2A domains of mouse STI1

Hsp70/Hsp90 Organising Protein (Hop): Coordinating Much More than Chaperones

The Hsp70/Hsp90 organising protein (Hop, also known as stress-inducible protein 1/STI1/STIP1) has received considerable attention for diverse cellular functions in both healthy and diseased states. There is extensive evidence that intracellular Hop is a co-chaperone of the major chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp90, playing an important role in the productive folding of Hsp90 client proteins, although recent evidence suggests that eukaryotic Hop is regulatory within chaperone complexes rather than essential. Consequently, Hop is implicated in many key signalling pathways, including aberrant pathways leading to cancer. Hop is also secreted, and it is now well established that Hop interacts with the prion protein, PrP^C, to mediate multiple signalling events. The intracellular and extracellular forms of Hop most likely represent two different isoforms, although the molecular determinants of these divergent functions are yet to be identified. There is also a growing body of research that reports the involvement of Hop in cellular activities that appear independent of either chaperones or PrP^C. While the various cellular functions of Hop have been described, its biological function remains elusive. However, recent knockout studies in mammals suggest that Hop has an important role in embryonic development. This review provides a critical overview of the latest molecular, cellular and biological research on Hop, critically evaluating its function in healthy systems and how this function is adapted in diseased states.

Molecular basis for the interaction between stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) and S100A1

Stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) is a cellular co-chaperone, which regulates heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and Hsp90 activity during client protein folding. Members of the S100 family of dimeric calcium-binding proteins have been found to inhibit Hsp association with STIP1 through binding of STIP1 tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains, possibly regulating the chaperone cycle. Here, we investigated the molecular basis of S100A1 binding to STIP1. We show that three S100A1 dimers associate with one molecule of STIP1 in a calcium-dependent manner. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that individual STIP1 TPR domains, TPR1, TPR2A and TPR2B, bind a single S100A1 dimer with significantly different affinities and that the TPR2B domain possesses the highest affinity for S100A1. S100A1 bound each TPR domain through a common binding interface composed of α-helices III and IV of each S100A1 subunit, which is only accessible following a large conformational change in S100A1 upon calcium binding. The TPR2B-binding site for S100A1 was predominately mapped to the C-terminal α-helix of TPR2B, where it is inserted into the hydrophobic cleft of an S100A1 dimer, suggesting a novel binding mechanism. Our data present the structural basis behind STIP1 and S100A1 complex formation, and provide novel insights into TPR module-containing proteins and S100 family member complexes.

Domains of STIP1 responsible for regulating PrPC-dependent amyloid-β oligomer toxicity

Soluble oligomers of amyloid-beta peptide (AβO) transmit neurotoxic signals through the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Secreted stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1), an Hsp70 and Hsp90 cochaperone, inhibits AβO binding to PrP(C) and protects neurons from AβO-induced cell death. Here, we investigated the molecular interactions between AβO and STIP1 binding to PrP(C) and their effect on neuronal cell death. We showed that residues located in a short region of PrP (90-110) mediate AβO binding and we narrowed the major interaction in this site to amino acids 91-100. In contrast, multiple binding sites on STIP1 (DP1, TPR1 and TPR2A) contribute to PrP binding. DP1 bound the N-terminal of PrP (residues 23-95), whereas TPR1 and TPR2A showed binding to the C-terminal of PrP (residues 90-231). Importantly, only TPR1 and TPR2A directly inhibit both AβO binding to PrP and cell death. Furthermore, our structural studies reveal that TPR1 and TPR2A bind to PrP through distinct regions. The TPR2A interface was shown to be much more extensive and to partially overlap with the Hsp90 binding site. Our data show the possibility of a PrP, STIP1 and Hsp90 ternary complex, which may influence AβO-mediated cell death.

Hsp70/Hsp90 organising protein (hop): beyond interactions with chaperones and prion proteins

The Hsp70/Hsp90 organising protein (Hop), also known as stress-inducible protein 1 (STI1), has received considerable attention for diverse cellular functions in both healthy and diseased states. There is extensive evidence that intracellular Hop is a co-chaperone of the major chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp90, playing an important role in the productive folding of Hsp90 client proteins. Consequently, Hop is implicated in a number of key signalling pathways, including aberrant pathways leading to cancer. However, Hop is also secreted and it is now well established that Hop also serves as a receptor for the prion protein, PrP(C). The intracellular and extracellular forms of Hop most likely represent two different isoforms, although the molecular determinants of these divergent functions are yet to be identified. There is also a growing body of research that reports the involvement of Hop in cellular activities that appear independent of either chaperones or PrP(C). While Hop has been shown to have various cellular functions, its biological function remains elusive. However, recent knockout studies in mammals suggest that Hop has an important role in embryonic development. This review provides a critical overview of the latest molecular, cellular and biological research on Hop, critically evaluating its function in healthy systems and how this function is adapted in diseases states.

Disruption of prion protein-HOP engagement impairs glioblastoma growth and cognitive decline and improves overall survival

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are resistant to current therapy protocols and identification of molecules that target these tumors is crucial. Interaction of secreted heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70)-Hsp90-organizing protein (HOP) with cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) triggers a large number of trophic effects in the nervous system. We found that both PrP(C) and HOP are highly expressed in human GBM samples relative to non-tumoral tissue or astrocytoma grades I-III. High levels of PrP(C) and HOP were associated with greater GBM proliferation and lower patient survival. HOP-PrP(C) binding increased GBM proliferation in vitro via phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase pathways, and a HOP peptide mimicking the PrP(C) binding site (HOP230-245) abrogates this effect. PrP(C) knockdown impaired tumor growth and increased survival of mice with tumors. In mice, intratumor delivery of HOP230-245 peptide impaired proliferation and promoted apoptosis of GBM cells. In addition, treatment with HOP230-245 peptide inhibited tumor growth, maintained cognitive performance and improved survival. Thus, together, the present results indicate that interfering with PrP(C)-HOP engagement is a promising approach for GBM therapy.