Regulation of chaperone effects on a yeast prion by cochaperone Sgt2

Yeast prions, based on self-seeded highly ordered fibrous aggregates (amyloids), serve as a model for human amyloid diseases. Propagation of yeast prions depends on the balance between chaperones of the Hsp100 and Hsp70 families. The yeast prion [PSI(+)] can be eliminated by an excess of the chaperone Hsp104. This effect is reversed by an excess of the chaperone Hsp70-Ssa. Here we show that the actions of Hsp104 and Ssa on [PSI(+)] are modulated by the small glutamine-rich tetratricopeptide cochaperone Sgt2. Sgt2 is conserved from yeast to humans, has previously been implicated in the guided entry of tail-anchored proteins (GET) trafficking pathway, and is known to interact with Hsps, cytosolic Get proteins, and tail-anchored proteins. We demonstrate that Sgt2 increases the ability of excess Ssa to counteract [PSI(+)] curing by excess Hsp104. Deletion of SGT2 also restores trafficking of a tail-anchored protein in cells with a disrupted GET pathway. One region of Sgt2 interacts both with the prion domain of Sup35 and with tail-anchored proteins. Sgt2 levels are increased in response to the presence of a prion when major Hsps are not induced. Our data implicate Sgt2 as an amyloid "sensor" and a regulator of chaperone targeting to different types of aggregation-prone proteins.