Coiled coils meet the chaperone world

Abstract

Coiled coils are versatile structural modules that engage in a variety of cellular activities. Recent studies illuminate their role as substrate-binding elements in the chaperone cofactor prefoldin and in the AAA+ ATPases involved in protein (un)folding processes. The use of coiled coils to mediate the binding of non-native proteins represents a novel strategy in chaperone design and a new function for coiled coils.