The ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are high-conductance intracellular Ca2+ channels that play a pivotal role in the excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal and cardiac muscles. RyRs are the largest known ion channels, with a homotetrameric organization and approximately 5000 residues in each protomer. Here we report the structure of the rabbit RyR1 in complex with its modulator FKBP12 at an overall resolution of 3.8 Å, determined by single-particle electron cryo-microscopy. Three previously uncharacterized domains, named Central, Handle, and Helical domains, display the armadillo repeat fold. These domains, together with the amino-terminal domain, constitute a network of superhelical scaffold for binding and propagation of conformational changes. The channel domain exhibits the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily fold with distinct features. A negative charge-enriched hairpin loop connecting S5 and the pore helix is positioned above the entrance to the selectivity filter vestibule. The four elongated S6 segments form a right-handed helical bundle that closes the pore at the cytoplasmic border of the membrane. Allosteric regulation of the pore by the cytoplasmic domains is mediated through extensive interactions between the Central domains and the channel domain. These structural features explain high ion conductance by RyRs and the long-range allosteric regulation of channel activities.

The γ-secretase complex, comprising presenilin 1 (PS1), Pen-2, Aph-1, and Nicastrin, is a membrane-embedded protease that controls a number of important cellular functions through substrate cleavage. Aberrant cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein results in aggregation of β-amyloid peptide, which accumulates in the brain and consequently causes Alzheimer's disease. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of an intact human γ-secretase complex at 4.5 Å resolution, determined by cryo-EM single-particle analysis. The γ-secretase complex comprises a horseshoe-shaped transmembrane domain, which contains 19 transmembrane segments (TMs), and a large extracellular domain (ECD) from Nicastrin, which sits right above the hollow space formed by the TM horseshoe. Intriguingly, Nicastrin ECD is structurally similar to a large family of peptidases exemplified by the glutamate carboxypeptidase PSMA. This structure serves as an important basis for understanding the functional mechanisms of the γ-secretase complex.γ-Secretase is a membrane-embedded aspartyl protease that cleaves a large number of transmembrane substrate proteins within their membrane-spanning regions, with the cleavage products serving as signaling molecules 1,2 . This process is known as regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) 3 . Two extensively studied substrates of γ-secretase are the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the Notch receptor 2 . Successive cleavages of APP give

Necroptosis is a cellular mechanism that mediates necrotic cell death. The receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIP1) is an essential upstream signaling molecule in tumor-necrosis-factor-α-induced necroptosis. Necrostatins, a series of small-molecule inhibitors, suppress necroptosis by specifically inhibiting RIP1 kinase activity. Both RIP1 structure and the mechanisms by which necrostatins inhibit RIP1 remain unknown. Here, we report the crystal structures of the RIP1 kinase domain individually bound to necrostatin-1 analog, necrostatin-3 analog, and necrostatin-4. Necrostatin, caged in a hydrophobic pocket between the N- and C-lobes of the kinase domain, stabilizes RIP1 in an inactive conformation through interactions with highly conserved amino acids in the activation loop and the surrounding structural elements. Structural comparison of RIP1 with the inhibitor-bound oncogenic kinase B-RAF reveals partially overlapping binding sites for necrostatin and for the anticancer compound PLX4032. Our study provides a structural basis for RIP1 inhibition by necrostatins and offers insights into potential structure-based drug design.

RIP3 is an essential upstream kinase in necroptosis. The pseudokinase MLKL functions as a substrate of RIP3 to mediate downstream signaling. The molecular mechanism by which RIP3 recognizes and phosphorylates MLKL remains unknown. Here, we report the crystal structures of the mouse RIP3 kinase domain, the MLKL kinase-like domain, and a binary complex between the two. Both RIP3 and MLKL adopt the canonical kinase fold. Free RIP3 exists in an active conformation, whereas MLKL-bound RIP3 is stabilized by AMP-PNP to adopt an inactive conformation. The formation of the RIP3-MLKL complex, involving their respective N- and C-lobes, is accompanied by pronounced conformational changes of the αC helix and activation loop in RIP3 and the corresponding structural elements in MLKL. RIP3-mediated MLKL phosphorylation, though important for downstream signaling, is dispensable for stable complex formation between RIP3 and MLKL. Our study serves as a framework for mechanistic understanding of RIP3-mediated necroptotic signaling.

ZnT8 is a Zn2+/H+ antiporter that belongs to SLC30 family and plays an essential role in regulating Zn2+ accumulation in the insulin secretory granules of pancreatic β cells. Dysfunction of ZnT8 is associated with both type 1 and 2 diabetes. However, the Zn2+/H+ exchange mechanism of ZnT8 remains unclear due to the lack of high-resolution structures. Here, we report the cryo-EM structures of human ZnT8 (HsZnT8) in both outward- and inward-facing conformations. HsZnT8 forms a dimeric structure with four Zn2+ binding sites within each subunit: a highly conserved primary site in transmembrane domain (TMD) housing the Zn2+ substrate; an interfacial site between TMD and C-terminal domain (CTD) that modulates the Zn2+ transport activity of HsZnT8; and two adjacent sites buried in the cytosolic domain and chelated by conserved residues from CTD and the His-Cys-His (HCH) motif from the N-terminal segment of the neighboring subunit. A comparison of the outward- and inward-facing structures reveals that the TMD of each HsZnT8 subunit undergoes a large structural rearrangement, allowing for alternating access to the primary Zn2+ site during the transport cycle. Collectively, our studies provide the structural insights into the Zn2+/H+ exchange mechanism of HsZnT8.

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Highlights d Autoinhibited (3.3 Å ) and active (6.8 Å ) structures of prodegenerative NADase SARM1 solved d Identification of a critical autoinhibitory lock d Lock mutations convert inactive SARM1 to an active, neurotoxic state d Enzymatic studies explain SARM1's functional dependence on local metabolic environment

SignificanceUnlike other single-component intramembrane proteases such as rhomboid and S2P, γ-secretase contains four components: presenilin, Pen-2, Aph-1, and nicastrin. Previous electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) analysis of human γ-secretase in amphipols revealed its overall architecture and 19 distinct transmembrane segments (TMs). However, the lack of side-chain density in the TMs, together with disordered inter-TM loops, disallowed TM assignment. Our current cryo-EM structure of human γ-secretase at 4.32-Å resolution allows specific assignment of all TMs and reveals principles of subunit packing. Our results also suggest that different detergents, as exemplified by amphipols and digitonin, may have little impact on the core conformation of γ-secretase.