The heat shock proteinsHslV and HslU (HslVU complex; also known as ClpQ and ClpY respectively, or ClpQY) are expressed in many bacteria such as E. coli in response to cell stress.[1] The hslV protein is a protease and the hslU protein is an ATPase; the two form a symmetric assembly of four stacked rings, consisting of an hslV dodecamer bound to an hslU hexamer, with a central pore in which the protease and ATPase active sites reside. The hslV protein degrades unneeded or damaged proteins only when in complex with the hslU protein in the ATP-bound state. HslV is thought to resemble the hypothetical ancestor of the proteasome, a large protein complex specialized for regulated degradation of unneeded proteins in eukaryotes, many archaea, and a few bacteria. HslV bears high similarity to core subunits of proteasomes.[2]
^Ramachandran R, Hartmann C, Song HK, Huber R, Bochtler M. (2002). Functional interactions of HslV (ClpQ) with the ATPase HslU (ClpY). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99(11):7396-401.
^Gille C, Goedel A, Schloetelburg C, Preißner R, Kloetzell PM, Gobel UB, Frommell C. (2003). A Comprehensive View on Proteasomal Sequences: Implications for the Evolution of the Proteasome. J Mol Biol 326: 1437–1448.
