Revisiting SEPT7 and the slippage of ß-strands in the septin family.

Septins are GTP-binding proteins that will often spontaneously assemble into filaments. In some species, particularly budding yeast, it is well known that these are capable of associating with membranes in order to fulfill their cellular role as a component of the cytoskeleton. Different from other human septins, SEPT7 appears to be unique in that it is an essential component of all hetero-oligomeric complexes described to date. As a step towards understanding the molecular basis of filament assembly, here we present two high-resolution structures of the SEPT7 GTPase domain complexed with GDP. One of these reveals a previously unreported coordination for the magnesium ion involving four water molecules and only a tenuous connection to the protein. The higher resolution structures provide unambiguous insight into the interactions at the G-interface where a structural motif based on an antiparallel ß-bridge allows for the rationalization of why some septins show nucleotide-dependent ß-strand slippage and others do not.

In vitro reconstitution of small GTPase regulation.

Small GTPases play essential roles in the organization of eukaryotic cells. In recent years, it has become clear that their intracellular functions result from intricate biochemical networks of the GTPase and their regulators that dynamically bind to a membrane surface. Due to the inherent complexities of their interactions, however, revealing the underlying mechanisms of action is often difficult to achieve from in vivo studies. This review summarizes in vitro reconstitution approaches developed to obtain a better mechanistic understanding of how small GTPase activities are regulated in space and time.

Molecular Recognition at Septin Interfaces: The Switches Hold the Key.

The assembly of a septin filament requires that homologous monomers must distinguish between one another in establishing appropriate interfaces with their neighbors. To understand this phenomenon at the molecular level, we present the first four crystal structures of heterodimeric septin complexes. We describe in detail the two distinct types of G-interface present within the octameric particles, which must polymerize to form filaments. These are formed between SEPT2 and SEPT6 and between SEPT7 and SEPT3, and their description permits an understanding of the structural basis for the selectivity necessary for correct filament assembly. By replacing SEPT6 by SEPT8 or SEPT11, it is possible to rationalize Kinoshita's postulate, which predicts the exchangeability of septins from within a subgroup. Switches I and II, which in classical small GTPases provide a mechanism for nucleotide-dependent conformational change, have been repurposed in septins to play a fundamental role in molecular recognition. Specifically, it is switch I which holds the key to discriminating between the two different G-interfaces. Moreover, residues which are characteristic for a given subgroup play subtle, but pivotal, roles in guaranteeing that the correct interfaces are formed.