High Resolution Structure of a Bricos Domain and its Implications for Anti-Amyloid Chaperone Activity on Lung Surgactant Protein C.
Willander, H., Askarieh, G., Landreh, M., Westermark, P., Nordling, K., Keranen, H., Hermansson, E., Hamvas, A., Nogee, L.M., Bergman, T., Saenz, A., Casals, C., Aqvist, J., Jornvall, H., Berglund, H., Presto, J., Knight, S.D., Johansson, J.(2012) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109: 2325
- PubMed: 22308375 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1114740109
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
2YAD - PubMed Abstract: 
BRICHOS domains are encoded in > 30 human genes, which are associated with cancer, neurodegeneration, and interstitial lung disease (ILD). The BRICHOS domain from lung surfactant protein C proprotein (proSP-C) is required for membrane insertion of SP-C and has anti-amyloid activity in vitro. Here, we report the 2.1 Å crystal structure of the human proSP-C BRICHOS domain, which, together with molecular dynamics simulations and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, reveals how BRICHOS domains may mediate chaperone activity. Observation of amyloid deposits composed of mature SP-C in lung tissue samples from ILD patients with mutations in the BRICHOS domain or in its peptide-binding linker region supports the in vivo relevance of the proposed mechanism. The results indicate that ILD mutations interfering with proSP-C BRICHOS activity cause amyloid disease secondary to intramolecular chaperone malfunction.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.