What Curves Alpha-solenoids? Evidence for an Alpha-helical Toroid Structure of Rpn1 and Rpn2 Proteins of the 26 S Proteasome

The alpha-helical solenoid proteins adopt a variety of elongated curved structures. They have been examined to identify the interactions that determine their curvature. A sequence pattern characteristic for strongly curved alpha-helical solenoids has been constructed and was found to match protein sequences containing the proteasome/cyclosome repeats. Based on this, a structural model of the repeat-containing domains of the Rpn1/S2 and Rpn2/S1 proteins, which represent the largest subunits of the 26 S proteasome, has been proposed. The model has a novel architecture resembling an alpha-helical toroid. Molecular modeling shows that these toroids have a central pore that would allow passage of an unfolded protein substrate through it. This implies that the Rpn1 and Rpn2 toroids are aligned along the common axial pores of the ATPase hexamer and form an "antechamber" of the 26 S proteasome. The proposed quaternary structure agrees with the available experimental data. It is suggested that the function of this antechamber is assistance to the ATPases in the unfolding of protein substrates prior to proteolysis. An evolutionary link between the PC repeat-containing proteins and tetratricopeptide repeat proteins is proposed.