Conserved intrinsically disordered region of DNAJB6 dictates its surveillance of FG-Nup condensates

Abstract

Molecular chaperones are known for their role in preventing protein aggregation and assisting proteins in reaching their structurally functional state. DNAJB6, a J-domain protein that partners with Hsp70s and nucleotide exchange factors, is very potent in preventing amyloid formation of proteins with large intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), including several disease-associated proteins. Complementary to this, we recently demonstrated a role for DNAJB6 in surveilling FG-Nucleoporins (FG-Nups) phase transitions and highlighted its role in nuclear pore complex assembly. We expand on this by showing that this activity of phase state surveillance is directed to several FG-Nups and shared with the closely related DNAJB2 and DNAJB8. We demonstrate that the surveillance mechanism of DNAJB6 is encoded in an unusually highly conserved IDR that promotes the formation of stable, gel-like assemblies of the chaperone itself. These assemblies likely provide a stable environment that can outcompete stable homotypic FG-Nup interactions and instead favors multivalent heterotypic chaperone:FG-Nup interactions. The evolutionary conservation of the DNAJB6-IDR, mutant analyses from both experimental in vitro and in cell data, and multiscale molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the sequence space for encoding stable gel-like assemblies is narrow and optimized to avoid self-aggregation while providing potent anti-amyloidogenic capacity.