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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Formation of Ordered Biomolecular Structures by the Self-assembly of Short Peptides
Published on: November 21, 2013
Structure of the molecular chaperone prefoldin: unique interaction of multiple coiled coil tentacles with unfolded
R Siegert1, M R Leroux, C Scheufler
1Max-Planck Institut für Biochemie, Am Klopferspitz 18a, D82152 Martinsried, Germany.
Abstract:
Prefoldin (GimC) is a hexameric molecular chaperone complex built from two related classes of subunits and present in all eukaryotes and archaea. Prefoldin interacts with nascent polypeptide chains and, in vitro, can functionally substitute for the Hsp70 chaperone system in stabilizing non-native proteins for subsequent folding in the central cavity of a chaperonin. Here, we present the crystal structure and characterization of the prefoldin hexamer from the archaeum Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Prefoldin has the appearance of a jellyfish: its body consists of a double beta barrel assembly with six long tentacle-like coiled coils protruding from it. The distal regions of the coiled coils expose hydrophobic patches and are required for multivalent binding of nonnative proteins.
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