Hsp90 functions in association with several cochaperones for folding of protein kinases and transcription factors, although the relative contribution of each to the overall reaction is unknown. We assayed the role of nine different cochaperones in the activation of Ste11, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase. Studies on signaling via this protein kinase pathway was measured by ␣-factor-stimulated induction of FIG1 or lacZ, and repression of HHF1. Several cochaperone mutants tested had reduced FIG1 induction or HHF1 repression, although to differing extents. The greatest defects were in cpr7⌬, sse1⌬, and ydj1⌬ mutants. Assays of Ste11 kinase activity revealed a pattern of defects in the cochaperone mutant strains that were similar to the gene expression studies. Overexpression of CDC37, a chaperone required for protein kinase folding, suppressed defects the sti1⌬ mutant back to wild-type levels. CDC37 overexpression also restored stable Hsp90 binding to the Ste11 protein kinase domain in the sti1⌬ mutant strain. These data suggest that Cdc37 and Sti1 have functional overlap in stabilizing Hsp90:client complexes. Finally, we show that Cns1 functions in MAP kinase signaling in association with Cpr7.
INTRODUCTIONAmong several major classes of molecular chaperone that have been characterized, Hsp90 appears to function primarily in folding of signal transducing proteins such as transcription factors and protein kinases (Caplan, 1999;Prodromou and Pearl, 2003). Hsp90 does not act alone in this capacity, but in association with several cochaperones that may also have chaperone function as defined by their ability to prevent polypeptide aggregation in vitro.The current understanding of how Hsp90 cochaperones function derived from in vitro studies on progesterone receptors (PR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR; Toft, 1997, 2003). The results of these studies showed that Hsp70 and Hsp40 first interact with the receptor ligandbinding domain. Hsp90 is recruited into this complex by the cochaperone called Hop, which interacts with both Hsp90 and Hsp70. Subsequently, Hsp70 and Hop are displaced by other cochaperones, such as one of many immunophilins and p23. Folding occurs in association with ATP hydrolysis by Hsp90, which is stimulated by another cochaperone called Aha1 (and its paralog Hch1; Panaretou et al., 2002;Lotz et al., 2003). It is unclear whether folding occurs while the receptor is in association with Hsp90 or after its release. Whether the cochaperones are required for this reaction is not clear, because purified Hsp70 and Hsp90 can together facilitate folding of GR in vitro, whereas cochaperones such as Hop stimulate the reaction (Morishima et al., 2000;Rajapandi et al., 2000). Furthermore, deletion of yeast Hop (STI1), or p23 (SBA1) does not result in a slow growth phenotype except under stress conditions (Nicolet and Craig, 1989;Chang et al., 1997;Bohen, 1998;Fang et al., 1998).Another question is whether the scheme described above for nuclear receptors reflects a set of ...