Dissecting the structural basis of MEIG1 interaction with PACRG

Sci Rep. 2016 Jan 4:6:18278. doi: 10.1038/srep18278.

Abstract

The product of the meiosis-expressed gene 1 (MEIG1) is found in the cell bodies of spermatocytes and recruited to the manchette, a structure unique to elongating spermatids, by Parkin co-regulated gene (PACRG). This complex is essential for targeting cargo to the manchette during sperm flagellum assembly. Here we show that MEIG1 adopts a unique fold that provides a large surface for interacting with other proteins. We mutated 12 exposed and conserved amino acids and show that four of these mutations (W50A, K57E, F66A, Y68A) dramatically reduce binding to PACRG. These four amino acids form a contiguous hydrophobic patch on one end of the protein. Furthermore, each of these four mutations diminishes the ability of MEIG1 to stabilize PACRG when expressed in bacteria. Together these studies establish the unique structure and key interaction surface of MEIG1 and provide a framework to explore how MEIG1 recruits proteins to build the sperm tail.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / chemistry*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphoproteins / chemistry*
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation*
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Stability
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Solvents
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Meig1 protein, mouse
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Pacrg protein, mouse
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Solvents