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Co-translational ribosome pairing enables native assembly of misfolding-prone subunits

ABSTRACT: Protein complexes are pivotal to most cellular processes. Emerging evidence indicates that pairs of ribosomes ubiquitously drive the synchronized synthesis and assembly of two protein subunits into homodimeric complexes1-5. These observations suggest protein folding mechanisms of general importance enabled by contacts between nascent chains6,7 – which have thus far rather been considered detrimental8,9. However, owing to their dynamic and heterogeneous nature, the folding of interacting nascent chains remains unexplored. Here, we show that co-translational ribosome pairing allows their nascent chains to ‘chaperone each other’, thus enabling the formation of coiled-coil homodimers from subunits that misfold individually. We developed an integrated single-molecule fluorescence and force spectroscopy approach to probe the folding and assembly of two nascent chains extending from nearby ribosomes, using the intermediate filament lamin as a model system. Ribosome proximity in early translation stages was found to be critical: when interactions between nascent chains are inhibited or delayed, they become trapped in stable misfolded states that are no longer assembly-competent. Conversely, early interactions allow the two nascent chains to nucleate native-like quaternary structures that grow in size and stability as translation advances. We conjecture that protein folding mechanisms enabled by ribosome cooperation are more broadly relevant to intermediate filaments and other protein classes.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE282964 | GEO | 2025/06/23

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Folding of newly synthesized proteins to the native state is a major challenge within the crowded cellular environment, since non-productive interactions can lead to misfolding, aggregation and degradation1. Cells cope with this challenge by coupling synthesis with polypeptide folding and by employing molecular chaperones to safeguard folding already cotranslationally2. However, little is known about the final step of folding, the assembly of polypeptides into complexes, although most of the cellular proteome forms oligomeric assemblies3. In prokaryotes, a proof-of-concept study showed that assembly of heterodimeric luciferase is an organized cotranslational process, facilitated by spatially confined translation of the subunits encoded on a polycistronic mRNA4. In eukaryotes, however, fundamental differences such as rarity of polycistronic mRNAs and different chaperone constellations raise the question whether assembly is also coordinated with translation. Here we provide a systematic and mechanistic analysis of protein complex assembly in eukaryotes using ribosome profiling. We determined the in vivo nascent subunits interactions of 12 hetero-oligomeric protein complexes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at near-residue resolution. We find 9 complexes assemble cotranslationally; the 3 complexes that do not show cotranslational interactions are regulated by dedicated assembly chaperones5-7. Cotranslational assembly often occurs uni-directionally, with one fully synthesized subunit engaging its nascent partner subunit(s), thereby counteracting its aggregation propensity. The onset of cotranslational subunit association coincides sharply with full exposure of the nascent interaction domain at the ribosomal tunnel exit. The action of the ribosome-associated Hsp70 chaperone Ssb8 is coordinated with assembly. Ssb transiently engages partially synthesized interaction domains, then dissociates before the onset of partner subunit association, presumably to prevent premature assembly interactions. Our study shows that cotranslational subunit association is a prevalent mechanism for hetero-oligomers assembly in yeast and indicates that translation, folding and assembly of protein complexes are integrated processes in eukaryotes.

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Co-translational ribosome pairing enables native assembly of misfolding-prone subunits

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