Structural basis for the regulatory interactions of proapoptotic Par-4

Par-4 is a unique proapoptotic protein with the ability to induce apoptosis selectively in cancer cells. The X-ray crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of Par-4 (Par-4(CC)), which regulates its apoptotic function, was obtained by MAD phasing. Par-4 homodimerizes by forming a parallel coiled-coil structure. The N-terminal half of Par-4(CC) contains the homodimerization subdomain. This structure includes a nuclear export signal (Par-4(NES)) sequence, which is masked upon dimerization indicating a potential mechanism for nuclear localization. The heteromeric-interaction models specifically showed that charge interaction is an important factor in the stability of heteromers of the C-terminal leucine zipper subdomain of Par-4 (Par-4(LZ)). These heteromer models also displayed NES masking capacity and therefore the ability to influence intracellular localization.