Solubilization of aggregated proteins by ClpB/DnaK relies on the continuous extraction of unfolded polypeptides

Dodecamer assembly of a metazoan AAA+ chaperone couples substrate extraction to refolding

Ring-forming AAA+ chaperones solubilize protein aggregates and protect organisms from proteostatic stress. In metazoans, the AAA+ chaperone Skd3 in the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) is critical for human health and efficiently refolds aggregated proteins, but its underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that Skd3 harbors both disaggregase and protein refolding activities enabled by distinct assembly states. High-resolution structures of Skd3 hexamers in distinct conformations capture ratchet-like motions that mediate substrate extraction. Unlike previously described disaggregases, Skd3 hexamers further assemble into dodecameric cages in which solubilized substrate proteins can attain near-native states. Skd3 mutants defective in dodecamer assembly retain disaggregase activity but are impaired in client refolding, linking the disaggregase and refolding activities to the hexameric and dodecameric states of Skd3, respectively. We suggest that Skd3 is a combined disaggregase and foldase, and this property is particularly suited to meet the complex proteostatic demands in the mitochondrial IMS.

HSF1 and Its Role in Huntington's Disease Pathology

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is the master transcriptional regulator of the heat shock response (HSR) in mammalian cells and is a critical element in maintaining protein homeostasis. HSF1 functions at the center of many physiological processes like embryogenesis, metabolism, immune response, aging, cancer, and neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms that allow HSF1 to control these different biological and pathophysiological processes are not fully understood. This review focuses on Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by severe protein aggregation of the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The aggregation of HTT, in turn, leads to a halt in the function of HSF1. Understanding the pathways that regulate HSF1 in different contexts like HD may hold the key to understanding the pathomechanisms underlying other proteinopathies. We provide the most current information on HSF1 structure, function, and regulation, emphasizing HD, and discussing its potential as a biological target for therapy.

DATA SOURCES

We performed PubMed search to find established and recent reports in HSF1, heat shock proteins (Hsp), HD, Hsp inhibitors, HSF1 activators, and HSF1 in aging, inflammation, cancer, brain development, mitochondria, synaptic plasticity, polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, and HD.

STUDY SELECTIONS

Research and review articles that described the mechanisms of action of HSF1 were selected based on terms used in PubMed search.

RESULTS

HSF1 plays a crucial role in the progression of HD and other protein-misfolding related neurodegenerative diseases. Different animal models of HD, as well as postmortem brains of patients with HD, reveal a connection between the levels of HSF1 and HSF1 dysfunction to mutant HTT (mHTT)-induced toxicity and protein aggregation, dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruption of the structural and functional integrity of synaptic connections, which eventually leads to neuronal loss. These features are shared with other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Currently, several inhibitors against negative regulators of HSF1, as well as HSF1 activators, are developed and hold promise to prevent neurodegeneration in HD and other NDs.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the role of HSF1 during protein aggregation and neurodegeneration in HD may help to develop therapeutic strategies that could be effective across different NDs.

Innate immunity to prions: anti-prion systems turn a tsunami of prions into a slow drip

The yeast prions (infectious proteins) [URE3] and [PSI+] are essentially non-functional (or even toxic) amyloid forms of Ure2p and Sup35p, whose normal function is in nitrogen catabolite repression and translation termination, respectively. Yeast has an array of systems working in normal cells that largely block infection with prions, block most prion formation, cure most nascent prions and mitigate the toxic effects of those prions that escape the first three types of systems. Here we review recent progress in defining these anti-prion systems, how they work and how they are regulated. Polymorphisms of the prion domains partially block infection with prions. Ribosome-associated chaperones ensure proper folding of nascent proteins, thus reducing [PSI+] prion formation and curing many [PSI+] variants that do form. Btn2p is a sequestering protein which gathers [URE3] amyloid filaments to one place in the cells so that the prion is often lost by progeny cells. Proteasome impairment produces massive overexpression of Btn2p and paralog Cur1p, resulting in [URE3] curing. Inversely, increased proteasome activity, by derepression of proteasome component gene transcription or by 60S ribosomal subunit gene mutation, prevents prion curing by Btn2p or Cur1p. The nonsense-mediated decay proteins (Upf1,2,3) cure many nascent [PSI+] variants by associating with Sup35p directly. Normal levels of the disaggregating chaperone Hsp104 can also cure many [PSI+] prion variants. By keeping the cellular levels of certain inositol polyphosphates / pyrophosphates low, Siw14p cures certain [PSI+] variants. It is hoped that exploration of the yeast innate immunity to prions will lead to discovery of similar systems in humans.

Structural basis for aggregate dissolution and refolding by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ClpB-DnaK bi-chaperone system

The M. tuberculosis (Mtb) ClpB is a protein disaggregase that helps to rejuvenate the bacterial cell. DnaK is a protein foldase that can function alone, but it can also bind to the ClpB hexamer to physically couple protein disaggregation with protein refolding, although the molecular mechanism is not well understood. Here, we report the cryo-EM analysis of the Mtb ClpB-DnaK bi-chaperone in the presence of ATPγS and a protein substrate. We observe three ClpB conformations in the presence of DnaK, identify a conserved TGIP loop linking the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding domain and the nucleotide-binding domain that is important for ClpB function, derive the interface between the regulatory middle domain of the ClpB and the DnaK nucleotide-binding domain, and find that DnaK binding stabilizes, but does not bend or tilt, the ClpB middle domain. We propose a model for the synergistic actions of aggregate dissolution and refolding by the Mtb ClpB-DnaK bi-chaperone system.

Yin et al. use cryo-EM to analyze the structure of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ClpB-DnaK bi-chaperone system. They find that the Mtb ClpB middle domain does not bend or tilt when interacting with DnaK. They therefore propose that the Mtb DnaK facilitates protein folding following protein disaggregation by ClpB.

Prion domains as a driving force for the assembly of functional nanomaterials

Amyloids display a highly ordered fibrillar structure. Many of these assemblies appear associated with human disease. However, the controllable, stable, tunable, and robust nature of amyloid fibrils can be exploited to build up remarkable nanomaterials with a wide range of applications in biomedicine and biotechnology. Functional prions constitute a particular class of amyloids. These transmissible proteins exhibit a modular architecture, with a disordered prion domain responsible for the assembly and one or more globular domains that account for the activity. Importantly, the original globular protein can be replaced with any protein of interest, without compromising the fibrillation potential. These genetic fusions form fibrils in which the globular domain remains folded, rendering functional nanostructures. However, in some cases, steric hindrance restricts the activity of these fibrils. This limitation can be solved by dissecting prion domains into shorter sequences that keep their self-assembling properties while allowing better access to the active protein in the fibrillar state. In this review, we will discuss the properties of prion-like functional nanomaterials and the amazing applications of these biocompatible fibrillar arrangements.

Extraction and Refolding Determinants of Chaperone-Driven Aggregated Protein Reactivation

Reactivation of protein aggregates plays a fundamental role in numerous situations, including essential cellular processes, hematological and neurological disorders, and biotechnological applications. The molecular details of the chaperone systems involved are known to a great extent but how the overall reactivation process is achieved has remained unclear. Here, we quantified reactivation over time through a predictive mechanistic model and identified the key parameters that control the overall dynamics. We performed new targeted experiments and analyzed classical data, covering multiple types of non-ordered aggregates, chaperone combinations, and experimental conditions. We found that, irrespective of the behavior observed, the balance of surface disaggregation and refolding in solution universally determines the reactivation dynamics, which is broadly described by two characteristic times. This characterization makes it possible to use activity measurements to accurately infer the underlying loss of aggregated protein and to quantify, for the first time, the refolding rates of the soluble intermediates.

The Complex Phosphorylation Patterns that Regulate the Activity of Hsp70 and Its Cochaperones

Proteins must fold into their native structure and maintain it during their lifespan to display the desired activity. To ensure proper folding and stability, and avoid generation of misfolded conformations that can be potentially cytotoxic, cells synthesize a wide variety of molecular chaperones that assist folding of other proteins and avoid their aggregation, which unfortunately is unavoidable under acute stress conditions. A protein machinery in metazoa, composed of representatives of the Hsp70, Hsp40, and Hsp110 chaperone families, can reactivate protein aggregates. We revised herein the phosphorylation sites found so far in members of these chaperone families and the functional consequences associated with some of them. We also discuss how phosphorylation might regulate the chaperone activity and the interaction of human Hsp70 with its accessory and client proteins. Finally, we present the information that would be necessary to decrypt the effect that post-translational modifications, and especially phosphorylation, could have on the biological activity of the Hsp70 system, known as the “chaperone code”.

Bacterial Inclusion Bodies for Anti-Amyloid Drug Discovery: Current and Future Screening Methods

Amyloid aggregation is linked to an increasing number of human disorders from nonneurological pathologies such as type-2 diabetes to neurodegenerative ones such as Alzheimer or Parkinson's diseases. Thirty-six human proteins have shown the capacity to aggregate into pathological amyloid structures. To date, it is widely accepted that amyloid folding/aggregation is a universal process present in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. In the last decade, several studies have unequivocally demonstrated that bacterial inclusion bodies - insoluble protein aggregates usually formed during heterologous protein overexpression in bacteria - are mainly composed of overexpressed proteins in amyloid conformation. This fact shows that amyloid-prone proteins display a similar aggregation propensity in humans and bacteria, opening the possibility to use bacteria as simple models to study amyloid aggregation process and the potential effect of both anti-amyloid drugs and pro-aggregative compounds. Under these considerations, several in vitro and in cellulo methods, which exploit the amyloid properties of bacterial inclusion bodies, have been proposed in the last few years. Since these new methods are fast, simple, inexpensive, highly reproducible, and tunable, they have aroused great interest as preliminary screening tools in the search for anti-amyloid (beta-blocker) drugs for conformational diseases. The aim of this mini-review is to compile recently developed methods aimed at tracking amyloid aggregation in bacteria, discussing their advantages and limitations, and the future potential applications of inclusion bodies in anti-amyloid drug discovery.

Prion Variants of Yeast are Numerous, Mutable, and Segregate on Growth, Affecting Prion Pathogenesis, Transmission Barriers, and Sensitivity to Anti-Prion Systems

The known amyloid-based prions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae each have multiple heritable forms, called "prion variants" or "prion strains". These variants, all based on the same prion protein sequence, differ in their biological properties and their detailed amyloid structures, although each of the few examined to date have an in-register parallel folded β sheet architecture. Here, we review the range of biological properties of yeast prion variants, factors affecting their generation and propagation, the interaction of prion variants with each other, the mutability of prions, and their segregation during mitotic growth. After early differentiation between strong and weak stable and unstable variants, the parameters distinguishing the variants has dramatically increased, only occasionally correlating with the strong/weak paradigm. A sensitivity to inter- and intraspecies barriers, anti-prion systems, and chaperone deficiencies or excesses and other factors all have dramatic selective effects on prion variants. Recent studies of anti-prion systems, which cure prions in wild strains, have revealed an enormous array of new variants, normally eliminated as they arise and so not previously studied. This work suggests that defects in the anti-prion systems, analogous to immune deficiencies, may be at the root of some human amyloidoses.

Interaction of substrate-mimicking peptides with the AAA+ ATPase ClpB from Escherichia coli

A molecular chaperone ClpB disaggregates and reactivates aggregated proteins in cooperation with DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE. Within a cellular environment, ClpB must distinguish between properly folded and aggregated proteins by recognizing specific physical and/or chemical surface properties of the aggregates. However, the molecular mechanism of substrate binding to ClpB is poorly understood. We hypothesized that ClpB recognizes those polypeptide segments that promote protein aggregation because they are likely present at the surface of growing aggregates. We used an algorithm TANGO (Fernandez-Escamilla et al., Nat. Biotech. 2004, 22, 1302) to predict the aggregation-prone segments within the model ClpB-binding peptides and investigated interactions of the FITC-labeled peptides with ClpB using fluorescence anisotropy. We found that ClpB binds the substrate-mimicking peptides with positive cooperativity, which is consistent with an allosteric linkage between substrate binding and ClpB oligomerization. The apparent affinity towards ClpB for peptides displaying different predicted aggregation propensities correlates with the peptide length. However, discrete aggregation-prone segments within the peptides are neither sufficient nor necessary for efficient interaction with ClpB. Our results suggest that the substrate recognition mechanism of ClpB may rely on global surface properties of aggregated proteins rather than on local sequence motifs.

Stand-alone ClpG disaggregase confers superior heat tolerance to bacteria

AAA+ disaggregases solubilize aggregated proteins and confer heat tolerance to cells. Their disaggregation activities crucially depend on partner proteins, which target the AAA+ disaggregases to protein aggregates while concurrently stimulating their ATPase activities. Here, we report on two potent ClpG disaggregase homologs acquired through horizontal gene transfer by the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa and subsequently abundant P. aeruginosa clone C. ClpG exhibits high, stand-alone disaggregation potential without involving any partner cooperation. Specific molecular features, including high basal ATPase activity, a unique aggregate binding domain, and almost exclusive expression in stationary phase distinguish ClpG from other AAA+ disaggregases. Consequently, ClpG largely contributes to heat tolerance of P. aeruginosa primarily in stationary phase and boosts heat resistance 100-fold when expressed in Escherichia coli This qualifies ClpG as a potential persistence and virulence factor in P. aeruginosa.

Hsp104 disaggregase at normal levels cures many [PSI+] prion variants in a process promoted by Sti1p, Hsp90, and Sis1p

Overproduction or deficiency of many chaperones and other cellular components cure the yeast prions [PSI⁺] (formed by Sup35p) or [URE3] (based on Ure2p). However, at normal expression levels, Btn2p and Cur1p eliminate most newly arising [URE3] variants but do not cure [PSI⁺], even after overexpression. Deficiency or overproduction of Hsp104 cures the [PSI⁺] prion. Hsp104 deficiency curing is a result of failure to cleave the Sup35p amyloid filaments to make new seeds, whereas Hsp104 overproduction curing occurs by a different mechanism. Hsp104(T160M) can propagate [PSI⁺], but cannot cure it by overproduction, thus separating filament cleavage from curing activities. Here we show that most [PSI⁺] variants arising spontaneously in an hsp104(T160M) strain are cured by restoration of just normal levels of the WT Hsp104. Both strong and weak [PSI⁺] variants are among those cured by this process. This normal-level Hsp104 curing is promoted by Sti1p, Hsp90, and Sis1p, proteins previously implicated in the Hsp104 overproduction curing of [PSI⁺]. The [PSI⁺] prion arises in hsp104(T160M) cells at more than 10-fold the frequency in WT cells. The curing activity of Hsp104 thus constitutes an antiprion system, culling many variants of the [PSI⁺] prion at normal Hsp104 levels.

Prion-specific Hsp40 function: The role of the auxilin homolog Swa2

Yeast prions are protein-based genetic elements that propagate through cell populations via cytosolic transfer from mother to daughter cell. Molecular chaperone proteins including Hsp70, the Hsp40/J-protein Sis1, and Hsp104 are required for continued prion propagation, however the specific requirements of chaperone proteins differ for various prions. We recently reported that Swa2, the yeast homolog of the mammalian protein auxilin, is specifically required for the propagation of the prion [URE3]. 1 [URE3] propagation requires both a functional J-domain and the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of Swa2, but does not require Swa2 clathrin binding. We concluded that the TPR domain determines the specificity of the genetic interaction between Swa2 and [URE3], and that this domain likely interacts with one or more proteins with a C-terminal EEVD motif. Here we extend that analysis to incorporate additional data that supports this hypothesis. We also present new data eliminating Hsp104 as the relevant Swa2 binding partner and discuss our findings in the context of other recent work involving Hsp90. Based on these findings, we propose a new model for Swa2's involvement in [URE3] propagation in which Swa2 and Hsp90 mediate the formation of a multi-protein complex that increases the number of sites available for Hsp104 disaggregation.

Reconstitution of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteostasis network highlights essential cofactor interactions with chaperone DnaK

During host infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) encounters several types of stress that impair protein integrity, including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and chemotherapy. The resulting protein aggregates can be resolved or degraded by molecular machinery conserved from bacteria to eukaryotes. Eukaryotic Hsp104/Hsp70 and their bacterial homologs ClpB/DnaK are ATP-powered chaperones that restore toxic protein aggregates to a native folded state. DnaK is essential in Mycobacterium smegmatis, and ClpB is involved in asymmetrically distributing damaged proteins during cell division as a mechanism of survival in Mtb, commending both proteins as potential drug targets. However, their molecular partners in protein reactivation have not been characterized in mycobacteria. Here, we reconstituted the activities of the Mtb ClpB/DnaK bichaperone system with the cofactors DnaJ1, DnaJ2, and GrpE and the small heat shock protein Hsp20. We found that DnaJ1 and DnaJ2 activate the ATPase activity of DnaK differently. A point mutation in the highly conserved HPD motif of the DnaJ proteins abrogates their ability to activate DnaK, although the DnaJ2 mutant still binds to DnaK. The purified Mtb ClpB/DnaK system reactivated a heat-denatured model substrate, but the DnaJ HPD mutants inhibited the reaction. Finally, either DnaJ1 or DnaJ2 is required for mycobacterial viability, as is the DnaK-activating activity of a DnaJ protein. These studies lay the groundwork for strategies to target essential chaperone-protein interactions in Mtb, the leading cause of death from a bacterial infection.

Cellular uptake and intracellular fate of protein releasing bacterial amyloids in mammalian cells

Bacterial Inclusion Bodies (IBs) are amyloidal protein deposits that functionally mimic secretory granules from the endocrine system. When formed by therapeutically relevant proteins, they complement missing intracellular activities in jeopardized cell cultures, offering an intriguing platform for protein drug delivery in substitutive therapies. Despite the therapeutic potential of IBs, their capability to interact with eukaryotic cells, cross the cell membrane and release their functional building blocks into the cytosolic space remains essentially unexplored. We have systematically dissected the process by which bacterial amyloids interact with mammalian cells. An early and tight cell membrane anchorage of IBs is followed by cellular uptake of single or grouped IBs of variable sizes by macropinocytosis. Although an important fraction of the penetrating particles is led to lysosomal degradation, biologically significant amounts of protein are released into the cytosol. In addition, our data suggest the involvement of the bacterial cell folding modulator DnaK in the release of functional proteins from these amyloidal reservoirs. The mechanisms supporting the internalization of disintegrable protein nanoparticles revealed here offer clues to implement novel approaches for protein drug delivery based on controlled protein packaging as bacterial IBs.

Yeast prions are useful for studying protein chaperones and protein quality control

Protein chaperones help proteins adopt and maintain native conformations and play vital roles in cellular processes where proteins are partially folded. They comprise a major part of the cellular protein quality control system that protects the integrity of the proteome. Many disorders are caused when proteins misfold despite this protection. Yeast prions are fibrous amyloid aggregates of misfolded proteins. The normal action of chaperones on yeast prions breaks the fibers into pieces, which results in prion replication. Because this process is necessary for propagation of yeast prions, even small differences in activity of many chaperones noticeably affect prion phenotypes. Several other factors involved in protein processing also influence formation, propagation or elimination of prions in yeast. Thus, in much the same way that the dependency of viruses on cellular functions has allowed us to learn much about cell biology, the dependency of yeast prions on chaperones presents a unique and sensitive way to monitor the functions and interactions of many components of the cell's protein quality control system. Our recent work illustrates the utility of this system for identifying and defining chaperone machinery interactions.

Disaggregases, molecular chaperones that resolubilize protein aggregates

The process of folding is a seminal event in the life of a protein, as it is essential for proper protein function and therefore cell physiology. Inappropriate folding, or misfolding, can not only lead to loss of function, but also to the formation of protein aggregates, an insoluble association of polypeptides that harm cell physiology, either by themselves or in the process of formation. Several biological processes have evolved to prevent and eliminate the existence of non-functional and amyloidogenic aggregates, as they are associated with several human pathologies. Molecular chaperones and heat shock proteins are specialized in controlling the quality of the proteins in the cell, specifically by aiding proper folding, and dissolution and clearance of already formed protein aggregates. The latter is a function of disaggregases, mainly represented by the ClpB/Hsp104 subfamily of molecular chaperones, that are ubiquitous in all organisms but, surprisingly, have no orthologs in the cytosol of metazoan cells. This review aims to describe the characteristics of disaggregases and to discuss the function of yeast Hsp104, a disaggregase that is also involved in prion propagation and inheritance.

Yeast prions: structure, biology, and prion-handling systems

A prion is an infectious protein horizontally transmitting a disease or trait without a required nucleic acid. Yeast and fungal prions are nonchromosomal genes composed of protein, generally an altered form of a protein that catalyzes the same alteration of the protein. Yeast prions are thus transmitted both vertically (as genes composed of protein) and horizontally (as infectious proteins, or prions). Formation of amyloids (linear ordered β-sheet-rich protein aggregates with β-strands perpendicular to the long axis of the filament) underlies most yeast and fungal prions, and a single prion protein can have any of several distinct self-propagating amyloid forms with different biological properties (prion variants). Here we review the mechanism of faithful templating of protein conformation, the biological roles of these prions, and their interactions with cellular chaperones, the Btn2 and Cur1 aggregate-handling systems, and other cellular factors governing prion generation and propagation. Human amyloidoses include the PrP-based prion conditions and many other, more common amyloid-based diseases, several of which show prion-like features. Yeast prions increasingly are serving as models for the understanding and treatment of many mammalian amyloidoses. Patients with different clinical pictures of the same amyloidosis may be the equivalent of yeasts with different prion variants.

Yeast prions help identify and define chaperone interaction networks

Proteins in the cell experience various stressful conditions that can affect their ability to attain and maintain the structural conformations they need to perform effectively. Protein chaperones are an important part of a cellular protein quality control system that protects the integrity of the proteome in the face of such challenges. Chaperones from different conserved families have multiple members that cooperate to regulate each other's activity and produce machines that perform a variety of tasks. The large numbers of related chaperones with both functionally overlapping and distinct activities allows fine-tuning of the machinery for specific tasks, but presents a daunting degree of complexity. Yeast prions are misfolded forms of cellular proteins whose propagation depends on the action of protein chaperones. Studying how propagation of yeast prions is affected by alterations in functions of various chaperones provides an approach to understanding this complexity.

Bi-allelic CLPB mutations cause cataract, renal cysts, nephrocalcinosis and 3-methylglutaconic aciduria, a novel disorder of mitochondrial protein disaggregation

Whole exome sequencing was used to investigate the genetic cause of mitochondrial disease in two siblings with a syndrome of congenital lamellar cataracts associated with nephrocalcinosis, medullary cysts and 3-methylglutaconic aciduria. Autosomal recessive inheritance in a gene encoding a mitochondrially targeted protein was assumed; the only variants which satisfied these criteria were c.1882C>T (p.Arg628Cys) and c.1915G>A (p.Glu639Lys) in the CLPB gene, encoding a heat shock protein/chaperonin responsible for disaggregating mitochondrial and cytosolic proteins. Functional studies, including quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot, support pathogenicity of these mutations. Furthermore, molecular modelling suggests that the mutations disrupt interactions between subunits so that the CLPB hexamer cannot form or is unstable, thus impairing its role as a protein disaggregase. We conclude that accumulation of protein aggregates underlies the development of cataracts and nephrocalcinosis in CLPB deficiency, which is a novel genetic cause of 3-methylglutaconic aciduria. A common mitochondrial cause for 3-methylglutaconic aciduria appears to be disruption of the architecture of the mitochondrial membranes, as in Barth syndrome (tafazzin deficiency), Sengers syndrome (acylglycerol kinase deficiency) and MEGDEL syndrome (impaired remodelling of the mitochondrial membrane lipids because of SERAC1 mutations). We now propose that perturbation of the mitochondrial membranes by abnormal protein aggregates leads to 3-methylglutaconic aciduria in CLPB deficiency.

Yeast prions: structure, biology, and prion-handling systems

A prion is an infectious protein horizontally transmitting a disease or trait without a required nucleic acid. Yeast and fungal prions are nonchromosomal genes composed of protein, generally an altered form of a protein that catalyzes the same alteration of the protein. Yeast prions are thus transmitted both vertically (as genes composed of protein) and horizontally (as infectious proteins, or prions). Formation of amyloids (linear ordered β-sheet-rich protein aggregates with β-strands perpendicular to the long axis of the filament) underlies most yeast and fungal prions, and a single prion protein can have any of several distinct self-propagating amyloid forms with different biological properties (prion variants). Here we review the mechanism of faithful templating of protein conformation, the biological roles of these prions, and their interactions with cellular chaperones, the Btn2 and Cur1 aggregate-handling systems, and other cellular factors governing prion generation and propagation. Human amyloidoses include the PrP-based prion conditions and many other, more common amyloid-based diseases, several of which show prion-like features. Yeast prions increasingly are serving as models for the understanding and treatment of many mammalian amyloidoses. Patients with different clinical pictures of the same amyloidosis may be the equivalent of yeasts with different prion variants.

Single-molecule analyses of the dynamics of heat shock protein 104 (Hsp104) and protein aggregates

Hsp104 solubilizes protein aggregates in cooperation with Hsp70/40. Although the framework of the disaggregase function has been elucidated, the actual process of aggregate solubilization by Hsp104-Hsp70/40 remains poorly understood. Here we developed several methods to investigate the functions of Hsp104 and Hsp70/40 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, at single-molecule levels. The single-molecule methods, which provide the size distribution of the aggregates, revealed that Hsp70/40 prevented the formation of large aggregates from small aggregates and that the solubilization of the small aggregates required both Hsp104 and Hsp70/40. We directly visualized the individual association-dissociation dynamics of Hsp104 on immobilized aggregates and found that the lifetimes of the Hsp104-aggregate complex are divided into two groups: short (∼4 s) and long (∼30 s). Hsp70/40 stimulated the association of Hsp104 with aggregates and increased the duration of this association. The single-molecule data provide novel insights into the functional mechanism of the Hsp104 disaggregation machine.

Bringing dynamic molecular machines into focus by methyl-TROSY NMR

Large macromolecular assemblies, so-called molecular machines, are critical to ensuring proper cellular function. Understanding how proper function is achieved at the atomic level is crucial to advancing multiple avenues of biomedical research. Biophysical studies often include X-ray diffraction and cryo-electron microscopy, providing detailed structural descriptions of these machines. However, their inherent flexibility has complicated an understanding of the relation between structure and function. Solution NMR spectroscopy is well suited to the study of such dynamic complexes, and continued developments have increased size boundaries; insights into function have been obtained for complexes with masses as large as 1 MDa. We highlight methyl-TROSY (transverse relaxation optimized spectroscopy) NMR, which enables the study of such large systems, and include examples of applications to several cellular machines. We show how this emerging technique contributes to an understanding of cellular function and the role of molecular plasticity in regulating an array of biochemical activities.

Crowding activates ClpB and enhances its association with DnaK for efficient protein aggregate reactivation

Reactivation of intracellular protein aggregates after a severe stress is mandatory for cell survival. In bacteria, this activity depends on the collaboration between the DnaK system and ClpB, which in vivo occurs in a highly crowded environment. The reactivation reaction includes two steps: extraction of unfolded monomers from the aggregate and their subsequent refolding into the native conformation. Both steps might be compromised by excluded volume conditions that would favor aggregation of unstable protein folding intermediates. Here, we have investigated whether ClpB and the DnaK system are able to compensate this unproductive effect and efficiently reactivate aggregates of three different substrate proteins under crowding conditions. To this aim, we have compared the association equilibrium, biochemical properties, stability, and chaperone activity of the disaggregase ClpB in the absence and presence of an inert macromolecular crowding agent. Our data show that crowding i), increases three to four orders of magnitude the association constant of the functional hexamer; ii), shifts the conformational equilibrium of the protein monomer toward a compact state; iii), stimulates its ATPase activity; and iv), favors association of the chaperone with substrate proteins and with aggregate-bound DnaK. These effects strongly enhance protein aggregate reactivation by the DnaK-ClpB network, highlighting the importance of volume exclusion in complex processes in which several proteins have to work in a sequential manner.

Screening and evaluation of small organic molecules as ClpB inhibitors and potential antimicrobials

Inhibition of ClpB, the bacterial representative of the heat-shock protein 100 family that is associated with virulence of several pathogens, could be an effective strategy to develop new antimicrobial agents. Using a high-throughput screening method, we have identified several compounds that bind to different conformations of ClpB and analyzed their effect on the ATPase and chaperone activities of the protein. Two of them inhibit these functional properties as well as the growth of Gram negative bacteria (E. coli), displaying antimicrobial activity under thermal or oxidative stress conditions. This activity is abolished upon deletion of ClpB, indicating that the action of these compounds is related to the stress cellular response in which ClpB is involved. Moreover, their moderate toxicity in human cell lines suggests that they might provide promising leads against bacterial growth.

Regulation of Torsin ATPases by LAP1 and LULL1

TorsinA is a membrane-associated AAA+ (ATPases associated with a variety of cellular activities) ATPase implicated in primary dystonia, an autosomal-dominant movement disorder. We reconstituted TorsinA and its cofactors in vitro and show that TorsinA does not display ATPase activity in isolation; ATP hydrolysis is induced upon association with LAP1 and LULL1, type II transmembrane proteins residing in the nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum. This interaction requires TorsinA to be in the ATP-bound state, and can be attributed to the luminal domains of LAP1 and LULL1. This ATPase activator function controls the activities of other members of the Torsin family in distinct fashion, leading to an acceleration of the hydrolysis step by up to two orders of magnitude. The dystonia-causing mutant of TorsinA is defective in this activation mechanism, suggesting a loss-of-function mechanism for this congenital disorder.

Unraveling the mechanism of protein disaggregation through a ClpB-DnaK interaction

HSP-100 protein machines, such as ClpB, play an essential role in reactivating protein aggregates that can otherwise be lethal to cells. Although the players involved are known, including the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE chaperone system in bacteria, details of the molecular interactions are not well understood. Using methyl-transverse relaxation-optimized nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we present an atomic-resolution model for the ClpB-DnaK complex, which we verified by mutagenesis and functional assays. ClpB and GrpE compete for binding to the DnaK nucleotide binding domain, with GrpE binding inhibiting disaggregation. DnaK, in turn, plays a dual role in both disaggregation and subsequent refolding of polypeptide chains as they emerge from the aggregate. On the basis of a combined structural-biochemical analysis, we propose a model for the mechanism of protein aggregate reactivation by ClpB.

Hsp70 targets Hsp100 chaperones to substrates for protein disaggregation and prion fragmentation

The Hsp70 system recruits ClpB/Hsp104 to the surface of stress-induced protein aggregates and prion fibrils.

Hsp100 and Hsp70 chaperones in bacteria, yeast, and plants cooperate to reactivate aggregated proteins. Disaggregation relies on Hsp70 function and on ATP-dependent threading of aggregated polypeptides through the pore of the Hsp100 AAA⁺ hexamer. In yeast, both chaperones also promote propagation of prions by fibril fragmentation, but their functional interplay is controversial. Here, we demonstrate that Hsp70 chaperones were essential for species-specific targeting of their Hsp100 partner chaperones ClpB and Hsp104, respectively, to heat-induced protein aggregates in vivo. Hsp70 inactivation in yeast also abrogated Hsp104 targeting to almost all prions tested and reduced fibril mobility, which indicates that fibril fragmentation by Hsp104 requires Hsp70. The Sup35 prion was unique in allowing Hsp70-independent association of Hsp104 via its N-terminal domain, which, however, was nonproductive. Hsp104 overproduction even outcompeted Hsp70 for Sup35 prion binding, which explains why this condition prevented Sup35 fragmentation and caused prion curing. Our findings indicate a conserved mechanism of Hsp70–Hsp100 cooperation at the surface of protein aggregates and prion fibrils.

Structural basis for intersubunit signaling in a protein disaggregating machine

ClpB is a ring-forming, ATP-dependent protein disaggregase that cooperates with the cognate Hsp70 system to recover functional protein from aggregates. How ClpB harnesses the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to facilitate the mechanical unfolding of previously aggregated, stress-damaged proteins remains unclear. Here, we present crystal structures of the ClpB D2 domain in the nucleotide-bound and -free states, and the fitted cryoEM structure of the D2 hexamer ring, which provide a structural understanding of the ATP power stroke that drives protein translocation through the ClpB hexamer. We demonstrate that the conformation of the substrate-translocating pore loop is coupled to the nucleotide state of the cis subunit, which is transmitted to the neighboring subunit via a conserved but structurally distinct intersubunit-signaling pathway common to diverse AAA+ machines. Furthermore, we found that an engineered, disulfide cross-linked ClpB hexamer is fully functional biochemically, suggesting that ClpB deoligomerization is not required for protein disaggregation.

Mapping the road to recovery: the ClpB/Hsp104 molecular chaperone

The AAA(+)-ATPases are a family of molecular motors which have been seconded into a plethora of cellular tasks. One subset, the Hsp100 molecular chaperones, are general protein remodellers that help to maintain the integrity of the cellular proteome by means of protein destruction or resurrection. In this review we focus on one family of Hsp100s, the homologous ClpB and Hsp104 molecular chaperones that convey thermotolerance by resolubilising and rescuing proteins from aggregates. We explore how the nucleotide binding and hydrolysis properties at the twelve nucleotide-binding domains of these hexameric rings are coupled to protein disaggregation, highlighting similarities and differences between ClpB and Hsp104.

Chaperone networks in protein disaggregation and prion propagation

The oligomeric AAA+ chaperones Escherichia coli ClpB and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsp104 cooperate with cognate Hsp70/Hsp40 chaperone machineries in the reactivation of aggregated proteins in E. coli and S. cerevisiae. In addition, Hsp104 and Hsp70/Hsp40 are crucial for the maintenance of prion aggregates in yeast cells. While the bichaperone system efficiently solubilizes stress-generated amorphous aggregates, structurally highly ordered prion fibrils are only partially processed, resulting in the generation of fragmented prion seeds that can be transmitted to daughter cells for stable inheritance. Here, we describe and discuss the most recent mechanistic findings on yeast Hsp104 and Hsp70/Hsp40 cooperation in the remodeling of both types of aggregates, emphasizing similarities in the mechanism but also differences in the sensitivities towards chaperone activities.

Aggregate reactivation mediated by the Hsp100 chaperones

Hsp100 family of molecular chaperones shows a unique capability to resolubilize and reactivate aggregated proteins. The Hsp100-mediated protein disaggregation is linked to the activity of other chaperones from the Hsp70 and Hsp40 families. The best-studied members of the Hsp100 family are the bacterial ClpB and Hsp104 from yeast. Hsp100 chaperones are members of a large super-family of energy-driven conformational "machines" known as AAA+ ATPases. This review describes the current mechanistic model of the chaperone-induced protein disaggregation and explains how the structural architecture of Hsp100 supports disaggregation and how the co-chaperones may participate in the Hsp100-mediated reactions.

On the design of broad based screening assays to identify potential pharmacological chaperones of protein misfolding diseases

Correcting aberrant folds that develop during protein folding disease states is now an active research endeavor that is attracting increasing attention from both academic and industrial circles. One particular approach focuses on developing or identifying small molecule correctors or pharmacological chaperones that specifically stabilize the native fold. Unfortunately, the limited screening platforms available to rapidly identify or validate potential drug candidates are usually inadequate or slow because the folding disease proteins in question are often transiently folded and/or aggregation-prone, complicating and/or interfering with the assay outcomes. In this review, we outline and discuss the numerous platform options currently being employed to identify small molecule therapeutics for folding diseases. Finally, we describe a new stability screening approach that is broad based and is easily applicable toward a very large number of both common and rare protein folding diseases. The label free screening method described herein couples the promiscuity of the GroEL binding to transient aggregation-prone hydrophobic folds with surface plasmon resonance enabling one to rapidly identify potential small molecule pharmacological chaperones.

Allosteric communication between the nucleotide binding domains of caseinolytic peptidase B

ClpB is a hexameric chaperone that solubilizes and reactivates protein aggregates in cooperation with the Hsp70/DnaK chaperone system. Each of the identical protein monomers contains two nucleotide binding domains (NBD), whose ATPase activity must be coupled to exert on the substrate the mechanical work required for its reactivation. However, how communication between these sites occurs is at present poorly understood. We have studied herein the affinity of each of the NBDs for nucleotides in WT ClpB and protein variants in which one or both sites are mutated to selectively impair nucleotide binding or hydrolysis. Our data show that the affinity of NBD2 for nucleotides (K(d) = 3-7 μm) is significantly higher than that of NBD1. Interestingly, the affinity of NBD1 depends on nucleotide binding to NBD2. Binding of ATP, but not ADP, to NBD2 increases the affinity of NBD1 (the K(d) decreases from ≈160-300 to 50-60 μm) for the corresponding nucleotide. Moreover, filling of the NBD2 ring with ATP allows the cooperative binding of this nucleotide and substrates to the NBD1 ring. Data also suggest that a minimum of four subunits cooperate to bind and reactivate two different aggregated protein substrates.

Biological role of bacterial inclusion bodies: a model for amyloid aggregation

Inclusion bodies are insoluble protein aggregates usually found in recombinant bacteria when they are forced to produce heterologous protein species. These particles are formed by polypeptides that cross-interact through sterospecific contacts and that are steadily deposited in either the cell's cytoplasm or the periplasm. An important fraction of eukaryotic proteins form inclusion bodies in bacteria, which has posed major problems in the development of the biotechnology industry. Over the last decade, the fine dissection of the quality control system in bacteria and the recognition of the amyloid-like architecture of inclusion bodies have provided dramatic insights on the dynamic biology of these aggregates. We discuss here the relevant aspects, in the interface between cell physiology and structural biology, which make inclusion bodies unique models for the study of protein aggregation, amyloid formation and prion biology in a physiologically relevant background.

Integrating protein homeostasis strategies in prokaryotes

Bacterial cells are frequently exposed to dramatic fluctuations in their environment, which cause perturbation in protein homeostasis and lead to protein misfolding. Bacteria have therefore evolved powerful quality control networks consisting of chaperones and proteases that cooperate to monitor the folding states of proteins and to remove misfolded conformers through either refolding or degradation. The levels of the quality control components are adjusted to the folding state of the cellular proteome through the induction of compartment specific stress responses. In addition, the activities of several quality control components are directly controlled by these stresses, allowing for fast activation. Severe stress can, however, overcome the protective function of the proteostasis network leading to the formation of protein aggregates, which are sequestered at the cell poles. Protein aggregates are either solubilized by AAA+ chaperones or eliminated through cell division, allowing for the generation of damage-free daughter cells.

Regulatory circuits of the AAA+ disaggregase Hsp104

Yeast Hsp104 is an AAA+ chaperone that rescues proteins from the aggregated state. Six protomers associate to form the functional hexamer. Each protomer contains two AAA+ modules, NBD1 and NBD2. Hsp104 converts energy provided by ATP into mechanical force used to thread polypeptides through its axial channel, thereby disrupting protein aggregates. But how the action of its 12 AAA+ domains is co-ordinated to catalyze disaggregation remained unexplained. Here, we identify a sophisticated allosteric network consisting of three distinct pathways that senses the nucleotide state of AAA+ modules and transmits this information across the Hsp104 hexamer. As a result of this communication, NBD1 and NBD2 each adopt two distinct conformations (relaxed and tense) that are reciprocally regulated. The key element in the network is the NBD1-ATP state that enables Hsp104 to switch from a barely active [(T)(R)] state to a highly active [(R)(T)] state. This concerted switch involves both cis and trans protomer interactions and provides Hsp104 with the mechanistic scaffold to catalyze disaggregation. It prepares the chaperone for polypeptide binding and activates NBD2 to generate the power strokes required to resolve protein aggregates. ATP hydrolysis in NBD1 resolves the high affinity [(R)(T)] state and switches the chaperone back into the low affinity [(T)(R)] state. Our model integrates previously unexplained observations and provides the first comprehensive map of nucleotide-related allosteric signals in a class-1 AAA+ protein.

A quantitative analysis of the effect of nucleotides and the M domain on the association equilibrium of ClpB

ClpB is a hexameric molecular chaperone that, together with the DnaK system, has the ability to disaggregate stress-denatured proteins. The hexamer is a highly dynamic complex, able to reshuffle subunits. To further characterize the biological implications of the ClpB oligomerization state, the association equilibrium of the wild-type (wt) protein and of two deletion mutants, which lack part or the whole M domain, was quantitatively analyzed under different experimental conditions, using several biophysical [analytical ultracentrifugation, composition-gradient (CG) static light scattering, and circular dichroism] and biochemical (ATPase and chaperone activity) methods. We have found that (i) ClpB self-associates from monomers to form hexamers and higher-order oligomers that have been tentatively assigned to dodecamers, (ii) oligomer dissociation is not accompanied by modifications of the protein secondary structure, (iii) the M domain is engaged in intersubunit interactions that stabilize the protein hexamer, and (iv) the nucleotide-induced rearrangement of ClpB affects the protein oligomeric core, in addition to the proposed radial extension of the M domain. The difference in the stability of the ATP- and ADP-bound states [ΔΔG(ATP-ADP) = -10 kJ/mol] might explain how nucleotide exchange promotes the conformational change of the protein particle that drives its functional cycle.

Cross-system excision of chaperone-mediated proteolysis in chaperone-assisted recombinant protein production

Main Escherichia coli cytosolic chaperones such as DnaK are key components of the control quality network designed to minimize the prevalence of polypeptides with aberrant conformations. This is achieved by both favoring refolding activities but also stimulating proteolytic degradation of folding reluctant species. This last activity is responsible for the decrease of the proteolytic stability of recombinant proteins when co-produced along with DnaK, where an increase in solubility might be associated to a decrease in protein yield. However, when DnaK and its co-chaperone DnaJ are co-produced in cultured insect cells or whole insect larvae (and expectedly, in other heterologous hosts), only positive, folding-related effects of these chaperones are observed, in absence of proteolysis-mediated reduction of recombinant protein yield.

Side effects of chaperone gene co-expression in recombinant protein production

Insufficient availability of molecular chaperones is observed as a major bottleneck for proper protein folding in recombinant protein production. Therefore, co-production of selected sets of cell chaperones along with foreign polypeptides is a common approach to increase the yield of properly folded, recombinant proteins in bacterial cell factories. However, unbalanced amounts of folding modulators handling folding-reluctant protein species might instead trigger undesired proteolytic activities, detrimental regarding recombinant protein stability, quality and yield. This minireview summarizes the most recent observations of chaperone-linked negative side effects, mostly focusing on DnaK and GroEL sets, when using these proteins as folding assistant agents. These events are discussed in the context of the complexity of the cell quality network and the consequent intricacy of the physiological responses triggered by protein misfolding.

Role of DnaJ G/F-rich domain in conformational recognition and binding of protein substrates

DnaJ from Escherichia coli is a Type I Hsp40 that functions as a cochaperone of DnaK (Hsp70), stimulating its ATPase activity and delivering protein substrates. How DnaJ binds protein substrates is still poorly understood. Here we have studied the role of DnaJ G/F-rich domain in binding of several substrates with different conformational properties (folded, partially (un)folded and unfolded). Using partial proteolysis we find that RepE, a folded substrate, contacts a wide DnaJ area that involves part of the G/F-rich region and Zn-binding domain. Deletion of G/F-rich region hampers binding of native RepE and reduced the affinity for partially (un)folded substrates. However, binding of completely unfolded substrates is independent on the G/F-rich region. These data indicate that DnaJ distinguishes the substrate conformation and is able to adapt the use of the G/F-rich region to form stable substrate complexes.

Protein folding and aggregation in bacteria

Proteins might experience many conformational changes and interactions during their lifetimes, from their synthesis at ribosomes to their controlled degradation. Because, in most cases, only folded proteins are functional, protein folding in bacteria is tightly controlled genetically, transcriptionally, and at the protein sequence level. In addition, important cellular machinery assists the folding of polypeptides to avoid misfolding and ensure the attainment of functional structures. When these redundant protective strategies are overcome, misfolded polypeptides are recruited into insoluble inclusion bodies. The protein embedded in these intracellular deposits might display different conformations including functional and beta-sheet-rich structures. The latter assemblies are similar to the amyloid fibrils characteristic of several human neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, bacteria exploit the same structural principles for functional properties such as adhesion or cytotoxicity. Overall, this review illustrates how prokaryotic organisms might provide the bedrock on which to understand the complexity of protein folding and aggregation in the cell.

Towards a unifying mechanism for ClpB/Hsp104-mediated protein disaggregation and prion propagation

The oligomeric AAA+ chaperones ClpB/Hsp104 mediate the reactivation of aggregated proteins, an activity that is crucial for the survival of cells during severe stress. Hsp104 is also essential for the propagation of yeast prions by severing prion fibres. Protein disaggregation depends on the cooperation of ClpB/Hsp104 with a cognate Hsp70 chaperone system. While Hsp70 chaperones are also involved in prion propagation, their precise role is much less well defined compared with its function in aggregate solubilization. Therefore, it remained unclear whether both ClpB/Hsp104 activities are based on common or different mechanisms. Novel data show that ClpB/Hsp104 uses a motor threading activity to remodel both protein aggregates and prion fibrils. Moreover, transfer of both types of substrates to the ClpB/Hsp104 processing pore site requires initial substrate interaction of Hsp70. Together these data emphasize the similarity of thermotolerance and prion propagation pathways and point to a shared mechanistic principle of Hsp70-ClpB/Hsp104-mediated solubilization of amorphous and ordered aggregates.

Cloning and characterization of clpB in Acetobacter pasteurianus NBRC 3283

The clpB gene in Acetobacter pasteurianus was cloned and characterized. Although the clpB gene was transcribed in response to a temperature shift and exposure to ethanol, the clpB disruption mutant was only affected by high temperature, suggesting that the ClpB protein is closely associated with heat resistance in A. pasteurianus.

Nucleotide utilization requirements that render ClpB active as a chaperone

ClpB is a member of the AAA+ superfamily that forms a ring-shaped homohexamer. Each protomer contains two nucleotide binding domains arranged in two rings that hydrolyze ATP. We extend here previous studies on ClpB nucleotide utilization requirements by using an experimental approach that maximizes random incorporation of different subunits into the protein hexamer. Incorporation of one subunit unable to bind or hydrolyze ATP knocks down the chaperone activity, while the wt hexamer can accommodate two mutant subunits that hydrolyze ATP in only one protein ring. Four subunits seem to build the functional cooperative unit, provided that one of the protein rings contains active nucleotide binding sites.

Synergistic coordination of polyethylene glycol with ClpB/DnaKJE bichaperone for refolding of heat-denatured malate dehydrogenase

The use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a refolding additive to a refolding cocktail comprising the molecular bichaperone ClpB and DnaKJE significantly enhances chaperone-mediated refolding of heat-denatured malate dehydrogenase (MDH). The critical factor to affect the refolding yield is the time point of introducing PEG to the refolding cocktail. The refolding efficiency reached approximately 90% only when PEG was added at the beginning of refolding reaction. The synergistic coordination of an inexpensive refolding additive PEG with the ClpB/DnaKJE bichaperone system may provide an economical route to further enhance the efficacy of ClpB/DnaKJE refolding cocktail approach, facilitating its implementation in large-scale refolding processes.

Coupling ATP utilization to protein remodeling by ClpB, a hexameric AAA+ protein

ClpB and Hsp104 are members of the AAA+ (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) family of proteins and are molecular machines involved in thermotolerance. They are hexameric proteins containing 12 ATP binding sites with two sites per protomer. ClpB and Hsp104 possess some innate protein remodeling activities; however, they require the collaboration of the DnaK/Hsp70 chaperone system to disaggregate and reactivate insoluble aggregated proteins. We investigated the mechanism by which ClpB couples ATP utilization to protein remodeling with and without the DnaK system. When wild-type ClpB, which is unable to remodel proteins alone in the presence of ATP, was mixed with a ClpB mutant that is unable to hydrolyze ATP, the heterohexamers surprisingly gained protein remodeling activity. Optimal protein remodeling by the heterohexamers in the absence of the DnaK system required approximately three active and three inactive protomers. In addition, the location of the active and inactive ATP binding sites in the hexamer was not important. The results suggest that in the absence of the DnaK system, ClpB acts by a probabilistic mechanism. However, when we measured protein disaggregation by ClpB heterohexamers in conjunction with the DnaK system, incorporation of a single inactive ClpB subunit blocked activity, supporting a sequential mechanism of ATP utilization. Taken together, the results suggest that the mechanism of ATP utilization by ClpB is adaptable and can vary depending on the specific substrate and the presence of the DnaK system.