Crystal structures of human Ero1α reveal the mechanisms of regulated and targeted oxidation of PDI

Inaba, Kenji, Masui, Shoji, Iida, Hiroka, Vavassori, Stefano, Sitia, Roberto, Suzuki, Mamoru

In the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of eukaryotic cells, Ero1 flavoenzymes promote oxidative protein folding via protein disulphide isomerase (PDI), generating reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide) as byproducts. Therefore, Ero1 activity must be strictly regulated to avoid futile oxidation cycles in the ER. While regulatory mechanisms restraining Ero1α activity ensure that not all PDI is oxidized, its specificity toward PDI could allow other resident oxidoreductases to remain reduced and competent to carry out isomerization and reduction of protein substrates. In this study, crystal structures of human Ero1α were solved in its hyperactive and inactive forms. Our findings reveal that human Ero1α modulates its oxidative activity by properly positioning regulatory cysteines within an intrinsically flexible loop, and by finely tuning the electron shuttle ability of the loop through disulphide rearrangements. Specific PDI targeting is guaranteed by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions of Ero1α with the PDI b’-domain through its substratebinding pocket. These results reveal the molecular basis of the regulation and specificity of protein disulphide formation in human cells.

Crystal structures of human Ero1α reveal the mechanisms of regulated and targeted oxidation of PDI

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