Background:The GET system mediates the insertion of tail-anchored (TA) proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Results:The protein complex comprising most of the cytosolic portions of the GET system shows an extended conformation in solution. Conclusion:The ternary complex Get3-Get4-Get5 forms an elongated structure with 2:2:2 stoichiometry for conducting TA protein delivery. Significance: The structure provides a framework for TA protein insertion into the membrane.

The insertion of tail-anchored membrane (TA) proteins into the appropriate membrane is a post-translational event that requires stabilization of the transmembrane domain and targeting to the proper destination. Sgt2, a small glutamine-rich tetratricopeptide-repeat protein, is a heat-shock protein cognate (HSC) co-chaperone that preferentially binds endoplasmic reticulum-destined TA proteins and directs them to the GET pathway via Get4 and Get5. The N-terminal domain of Sgt2 seems to exert dual functions. It mediates Get5 interaction and allows substrate delivery to Get3. Following the N-terminus of Get5 is a ubiquitin-like (Ubl) domain that interacts with the N-terminus of Sgt2. Here, the crystal structure of the Sgt2 dimerization domain complexed with the Get5 Ubl domain (Sgt2N-Get5Ubl) is reported. This complex reveals an intimate interaction between one Sgt2 dimer and one Get5 monomer. This research further demonstrates that hydrophobic residues from both Sgt2 and Get5 play an important role in cell survival under heat stress. This study provides detailed molecular insights into the specific binding of this GET-pathway complex.

c Nearly 5% of membrane proteins are guided to nuclear, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondrial, Golgi, or peroxisome membranes by their C-terminal transmembrane domain and are classified as tail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the guided entry of TA protein (GET) pathway has been shown to function in the delivery of TA proteins to the ER. The sorting complex for this pathway is comprised of Sgt2, Get4, and Get5 and facilitates the loading of nascent tail-anchored proteins onto the Get3 ATPase. Multiple pulldown assays also indicated that Ybr137wp associates with this complex in vivo. Here, we report a 2.8-Å-resolution crystal structure for Ybr137wp from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The protein is a decamer in the crystal and also in solution, as observed by size exclusion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation. In addition, isothermal titration calorimetry indicated that the C-terminal acidic motif of Ybr137wp interacts with the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of Sgt2. Moreover, an in vivo study demonstrated that Ybr137wp is induced in yeast exiting the log phase and ameliorates the defect of TA protein delivery and cell viability derived by the impaired GET system under starvation conditions. Therefore, this study suggests a possible role for Ybr137wp related to targeting of tail-anchored proteins.

During the biosynthesis of tail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins, their single C-terminal trans-membrane segment is inserted into the ER membrane for orientating the functional domain(s) towards the cytosolic side of the cell. The machinery responsible for this post-translational process has only recently come to light. In yeast, the proteins participating in TA protein insertion include Get1/Get2, Get3, Get4 and Get5. Although structural information and the individual roles of most components of this system have been defined, the interactions and interplay between them remain to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the interactions between Get3 and the Get4/Get5 complex (Get4/5) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that Get3 interacts with Get4/5 via an interface dominated by electrostatic forces. Using isothermal titration calorimetry and small-angle X-ray scattering, we further demonstrate that the Get3 homodimer interacts with two copies of the Get4/5 complex to form an extended conformation in solution.