Multi-site-mediated entwining of the linear WIR-motif around WIPI beta-propellers for autophagy.
Ren, J., Liang, R., Wang, W., Zhang, D., Yu, L., Feng, W.(2020) Nat Commun 11: 2702-2702
- PubMed: 32483132 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16523-y
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6KLR - PubMed Abstract: 
WIPI proteins (WIPI1-4) are mammalian PROPPIN family phosphoinositide effectors essential for autophagosome biogenesis. In addition to phosphoinositides, WIPI proteins can recognize a linear WIPI-interacting-region (WIR)-motif, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we determine the structure of WIPI3 in complex with the WIR-peptide from ATG2A. Unexpectedly, the WIR-peptide entwines around the WIPI3 seven-bladed β-propeller and binds to three sites in blades 1-3. The N-terminal part of the WIR-peptide forms a short strand that augments the periphery of blade 2, the middle segment anchors into an inter-blade hydrophobic pocket between blades 2-3, and the C-terminal aromatic tail wedges into another tailored pocket between blades 1-2. Mutations in three peptide-binding sites disrupt the interactions between WIPI3/4 and ATG2A and impair the ATG2A-mediated autophagic process. Thus, WIPI proteins recognize the WIR-motif by multi-sites in multi-blades and this multi-site-mediated peptide-recognition mechanism could be applicable to other PROPPIN proteins.
Organizational Affiliation: 
National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, 100101, Beijing, China.