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Diffusion of the disordered E-cadherin tail on β-catenin

Wiggers, F.; Wohl, S.; Dubovetskyi, A.; Rosenblum, G.; Zheng, W.; Hofmann, H.

2021-02-03 biophysics
10.1101/2021.02.03.429507 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Specific protein interactions typically require well-shaped binding interfaces. Here, we report a cunning exception. The disordered tail of the cell-adhesion protein E-cadherin dynamically samples a large surface area of the proto-oncogene {beta}-catenin. Single-molecule experiments and molecular simulations resolve these motions with high resolution in space and time. Contacts break and form within hundreds of microseconds without dissociation of the complex. A few persistent interactions provide specificity whereas unspecific contacts boost affinity. The energy landscape of this complex is rugged with many small barriers (3 - 4 kBT) and reconciles specificity, high affinity, and extreme disorder. Given the roles of {beta}-catenin in cell-adhesion, signalling, and cancer, this Velcro-like design has the potential to tune the stability of the complex without requiring dissociation.

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