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ERdj3 was identified as a soluble, lumenal DnaJ family member that binds to unassembled immunoglobulin heavy chains along with the BiP chaperone complex in the endoplasmic reticulum of mammalian cells. Here we demonstrated that ERdj3 binds directly to unfolded substrates. Secondary structure predictions suggested that the substrate binding domain of ERdj3 was likely to closely resemble Ydj1, a yeast cytosolic DnaJ family member, which was previously crystallized with a peptide bound to the C-terminal fragment composed of domains I, II, and III. Mutation of conserved residues in domain I, which formed the peptide binding site in Ydj1, affected ERdj3's substrate binding ability in mammalian cells and in vitro binding studies. Somewhat unexpectedly, we found that domain II, which is highly conserved among ERdj3 homologues, but very different from domain II of Ydj1, was also critical for substrate binding. In addition, we demonstrated that ERdj3 forms multimers in cells and found that the conserved carboxy-terminal residue phenylalanine 326 played a critical role in self-assembly. In vitro binding assays revealed that mutation of this residue to alanine diminished ERdj3's substrate binding ability, arguing that multimerization is important for substrate binding. Together, these studies demonstrate that the Ydj1 structure is conserved in another family member and reveal that among this group of DnaJ proteins domain II, which is not present in the closely related type II family members, also plays an essential role in substrate binding.

Unassembled Ig heavy chains are retained in the ER via the binding of BiP to the C(H)1 domain, which remains unoxidized. Interestingly, this domain folds rapidly, albeit nonproductively, when heavy chains are released from BiP in vitro with ATP. The in vivo cycling of BiP from heavy chains was monitored using BiP ATPase mutants as kinetic traps. Our data suggest that BiP does not cycle from the C(H)1 domain of free heavy chains. However, heavy and light chain assembly occurs rapidly and requires the ATP-dependent release of BiP. We propose that BiP's ATPase cycle is stalled or nonproductive when it is bound to free heavy chains. The binding of light chains to the complex reactivates the cycle and releases BiP.

The immunoglobulin (Ig) molecule is composed of two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains (H2L2). Transport of this heteromeric complex is dependent on the correct assembly of the component parts, which is controlled, in part, by the association of incompletely assembled Ig heavy chains with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone, BiP. Although other heavy chain-constant domains interact transiently with BiP, in the absence of light chain synthesis, BiP binds stably to the first constant domain (CH1) of the heavy chain, causing it to be retained in the ER. Using a simplified two-domain Ig heavy chain (VH-CH1), we have determined why BiP remains bound to free heavy chains and how light chains facilitate their transport. We found that in the absence of light chain expression, the CH1 domain neither folds nor forms its intradomain disulfide bond and therefore remains a substrate for BiP. In vivo, light chains are required to facilitate both the folding of the CH1 domain and the release of BiP. In contrast, the addition of ATP to isolated BiP-heavy chain complexes in vitro causes the release of BiP and allows the CH1 domain to fold in the absence of light chains. Therefore, light chains are not intrinsically essential for CH1 domain folding, but play a critical role in removing BiP from the CH1 domain, thereby allowing it to fold and Ig assembly to proceed. These data suggest that the assembly of multimeric protein complexes in the ER is not strictly dependent on the proper folding of individual subunits; rather, assembly can drive the complete folding of protein subunits.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain-binding protein (BiP) is a member of the hsp70 family of chaperones and one of the most abundant proteins in the ER lumen. It is known to interact transiently with many nascent proteins as they enter the ER and more stably with protein subunits produced in stoichiometric excess or with mutant proteins. However, there also exists a large number of secretory pathway proteins that do not apparently interact with BiP. To begin to understand what controls the likelihood that a nascent protein entering the ER will associate with BiP, we have examined the in vivo folding of a murine lambdaI immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain (LC). This LC is composed of two Ig domains that can fold independent of the other and that each possess multiple potential BiP-binding sequences. To detect BiP binding to the LC during folding, we used BiP ATPase mutants, which bind irreversibly to proteins, as "kinetic traps." Although both the wild-type and mutant BiP clearly associated with the unoxidized variable region domain, we were unable to detect binding of either BiP protein to the constant region domain. A combination of in vivo and in vitro folding studies revealed that the constant domain folds rapidly and stably even in the absence of an intradomain disulfide bond. Thus, the simple presence of a BiP-binding site on a nascent chain does not ensure that BiP will bind and play a role in its folding. Instead, it appears that the rate and stability of protein folding determines whether or not a particular site is recognized, with BiP preferentially binding to proteins that fold slowly or somewhat unstably.

Immunoglobulin-binding protein (BiP), a 70-kDa heat shock protein in the endoplasmic reticulum, binds transiently to nascent proteins, releasing them upon folding and assembly. The in vitro release of bound proteins from BiP requires ATP hydrolysis. Recently, the three-dimensional structure was solved for an ATP-hydrolyzing proteolytic 44-kDa fragment of a 71-kDa heat shock cognate protein, HSC71. Because of the high degree of homology in this region, BiP presumably forms a similar ATP binding structure. Amino-terminal deletions in BiP eliminated ATP-agarose binding. Alteration of a second potential ATP binding site had no effect, suggesting that only the HSC71-like site was capable of ATP binding. Crystallographic data from HSC71 implicated certain amino acids in interactions with the beta-phosphate, gamma-phosphate, and divalent cation of ATP. Mutation of each corresponding residue in BiP (Thr-37, Thr-229, and Glu-201) severely inhibited its ATPase activity. These BiP mutants were still capable of binding ATP and immunoglobulin heavy chains, suggesting that these mutations did not drastically alter the structure of BiP. They did however block the ATP-mediated release of heavy chains from BiP. Our results demonstrate that the structure of BiP in this region must be extremely similar to that elucidated for HSC71 and that mutations of residues proposed to interact with ATP block the ATP-mediated release of bound protein by inhibiting ATP hydrolysis.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP, GRP78) associates stably with the free, nonsecreted Ig heavy chains synthesized by Abelson virus transformed pre-B cell lines. In cells synthesizing both Ig heavy and light chains, the Ig subunits assemble rapidly and are secreted. Only incompletely assembled Ig molecules can be found bound to BiP in these cells. In addition to Ig heavy chains, a number of mutant and incompletely glycosylated transport-defective proteins are stably complexed with BiP. When normal proteins are examined for combination with BiP, only a small fraction of the intracellular pool of nascent, unfolded, or unassembled proteins can be found associated. It has been difficult to determine whether these BiP-associated molecules represent assembly intermediates which will be displaced from BiP and transported from the cell, or whether these are aberrant proteins that are ultimately degraded. In order for BiP to monitor and aid in normal protein transport, its association with these proteins must be reversible and the released proteins should be transport competent. In the studies described here, transient heterokaryons were formed between a myeloma line producing BiP-associated heavy chains and a myeloma line synthesizing the complementary light chain. Introduction of light chain synthesis resulted in assembly of prelabeled heavy chains with light chains, displacement of BiP from heavy chains, and secretion of Ig into the culture supernatant. These data demonstrate that BiP association can be reversible, with concordant release of transportable proteins. Thus, BiP can be considered a component of the exocytic secretory pathway, regulating the transport of both normal and abnormal proteins.

Human EBV transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines and lymphomas representing various stages of B cell development were examined for heavy chain binding protein (BiP) expression and its association with immunoglobin (Ig) heavy chains. Human BiP was shown to migrate with an apparent mol. wt of 79,000 and to have a pI of approximately 5.5 in all the human cell lines examined. Both the mum and the mus heavy chains synthesized in a pre-B cell line (mu+, LC-) remained associated with BiP and were all found to be endo H sensitive, suggesting that this association occurred in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Surface Ig+ B cell lines produce membrane type heavy chains which are expressed on the cell surface and secretory type heavy chains which remain intracellular. The membrane type mu heavy chains produced by a surface Ig+ B cell line were not associated with BiP after assembling with light chains and processing in the Golgi. However, the secretory type mu heavy chains synthesized by these same cells did not combine efficiently with LC and a significant quantity remained associated with BiP and were not secreted suggesting that BiP is involved in the divergent transport of membrane and secretory mu heavy chains in surface Ig+ B cell lines. In Ig secreting plasmacytoid lines the heavy chains were only associated with BiP prior to assembling with LC. When LC assembly was inhibited, the association of heavy chains with BiP was prolonged and Ig secretion was blocked. Therefore, BiP was found to participate in the post-translational processing of mu heavy chains synthesized by human lymphoid cell lines representing all stages of B cell development. Further, heavy chains that remained associated with BiP were not transported to the cell surface or secreted while heavy chains that were only transiently associated with BiP chains were expressed on the cell surface or secreted.

The 78,000-dalton glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and the immunoglobulin heavy-chain-binding protein (BiP) were shown to be the same protein by NH2-terminal sequence comparison. Immunoprecipitation of GRP78-BiP induced by glucose starvation and a temperature-sensitive mutation in a hamster fibroblast cell line demonstrated the association of GRP78-BiP with other cellular proteins. In both fibroblasts and lymphoid cells, GRP78-BiP was found to label with 32Pi and [3H]adenosine. Phosphoamino acid analysis demonstrated that GRP78-BiP is phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues. Conditions which induce increased production of GRP78-BiP resulted in decreased incorporation of 32Pi and [3H]adenosine into GRP78-BiP. Furthermore, we report here that the phosphorylated form of BiP resides in the endoplasmic reticulum and that BiP which is associated with heavy chains is not phosphorylated or labeled with [3H]adenosine, whereas free BiP is. This suggests that posttranslational modifications may be important in regulating the synthesis and binding of BiP.

A rat monoclonal antibody specific for immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain binding protein (BiP) has allowed the examination of the association of BiP with assembling Ig precursors in mouse B lymphocyte-derived cell lines. The anti-BiP monoclonal antibody immunoprecipitates BiP along with noncovalently associated Ig heavy chains. BiP is a component of the endoplasmic reticulum and binds free intracellular heavy chains in nonsecreting pre-B (mu+, L-) cell lines or incompletely assembled Ig precursors in (H+, L+) secreting hybridomas and myelomas. In the absence of light chain synthesis, heavy chains remain associated with BiP and are not secreted. The association of BiP with assembling Ig molecules in secreting hybridomas is transient and is restricted to the incompletely assembled molecules which are found in the endoplasmic reticulum. BiP loses affinity and disassociates with Ig molecules when polymerization with light chain is complete. We propose that the association of BiP with Ig heavy chain precursors is a novel posttranslational processing event occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum. The Ig heavy chains associated with BiP are not efficiently transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. Therefore, BiP may prevent the premature escape and eventual secretion of incompletely assembled Ig molecules.