21.07.2025 - 13:21:04

New Insights into Protein Folding Inside Cells

A collaborative effort within CRC?1430 has led to new insights into how proteins attain their correct three-dimensional structure in the endoplasmic reticulum, the cell’s production and quality control center. Researchers from the groups of Doris Hellerschmied (A07) and Simon Pöpsel (A12), together with colleagues from project B03, B04 and Z03, have resolved how the BiP–GRP94 chaperone complex facilitates protein folding through a stepwise conformational mechanism.

Using single-particle electron microscopy and biochemical analyses, the team visualized the transient interaction between BiP and GRP94, homologs of Hsp70 and Hsp90, capturing the dynamic structural states that enable substrate handover. These findings provide important insights into proteostasis in the secretory pathway and will serve as a basis for future research.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41594-025-01619-0.