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Protein metabolism

Get3 hides transmembrane domains in its pocket

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 16, page 205 (2015)Cite this article

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Tail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins are targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) post-translationally by the guided entry of TA proteins (GET) pathway; this involves the formation of a complex between the TA protein and the cytosolic factor Get3. During transit, the hydrophobic transmembrane domain (TMD) of TA proteins must be shielded from the cytosol until they are inserted into the ER lipid bilayer, but the exact underlying mechanisms are unclear. Structural studies by Mateja et al. now reveal that the cytosolic factor Get3 forms a homodimer with a hydrophobic pocket. They show that one TA protein is loaded onto the dimeric Get3 in a closed conformation, and that the TMDs binds to the hydrophobic groove spanning the dimer interface.

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References

  1. Mateja, A. et al. Structure of the Get3 targeting factor in complex with its membrane protein cargo. Science 347, 1152–1155 (2015)

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  1. Kim Baumann
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Baumann, K. Get3 hides transmembrane domains in its pocket. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 16, 205 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3978

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