Untangling structure-function relationships in the rhomboid family of intramembrane proteases

Rhomboid proteases are a family of integral membrane proteins that have been implicated in critical regulatory roles in a wide array of cellular processes and signaling events. The determination of crystal structures of the prokaryotic rhomboid GlpG from Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae has ushered in an era of unprecedented understanding into molecular aspects of intramembrane proteolysis by this fascinating class of protein. A combination of structural studies by X-ray crystallography, and biophysical and spectroscopic analyses, combined with traditional enzymatic and functional analysis has revealed fundamental aspects of rhomboid structure, substrate recognition and the catalytic mechanism. This review summarizes these remarkable advances by examining evidence for the proposed catalytic mechanism derived from inhibitor co-crystal structures, conflicting models of rhomboid-substrate interaction, and recent work on the structure and function of rhomboid cytosolic domains. In addition to exploring progress on aspects of rhomboid structure, areas for future research and unaddressed questions are emphasized and highlighted. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Intramembrane Proteases.