Zuotin Explained

Symbol:	ZUO1
Uniprot:	P32527
Organism:	Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Z-DNA binding protein 1, also known as Zuotin, is a Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast gene.

Zuo1 has been identified in vitro as a tRNA and Z-DNA binding protein.^{[1] [2]} The name "zuotin" is derived from the Chinese word "zuo" meaning "left". It is a member of Hsp40 family. Like all other Hsp40 members it also contains a classic J domain.

Zuotin and related proteins contain a unique Zuotin homology domain (ZHD). It associates with the Hsp70 family Ssz1 to form a ribosome associated complex (RAC). In such a complex, the N-terminal domains (including the J domain) associates with Ssz1p on the surface of the large (60S) ribosomal subunit. ZHD provides further contacts with the 60S subunit and connects to a subunit-spanning medium domain (MD), the "neck" of RAC. The four-helix-bundle RAC head domain is located at the C-terminus and binds the small (40S) subunit. The J domain-Ssz1p complex, located over the peptide exit tunnel of the large ribosomal subunit, helps the nascent peptide fold.^{[3] [4]}

Notes and References

1. Zhang S, Lockshin C, Herbert A, Winter E, Rich A . Zuotin, a putative Z-DNA binding protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The EMBO Journal . 11 . 10 . 3787–96 . October 1992 . 1396572 . 556839 . 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05464.x .
2. Wilhelm ML, Reinbolt J, Gangloff J, Dirheimer G, Wilhelm FX . Transfer RNA binding protein in the nucleus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . FEBS Letters . 349 . 2 . 260–4 . August 1994 . 8050578 . 10.1016/0014-5793(94)00683-0 . free .
3. Leidig C, Bange G, Kopp J, Amlacher S, Aravind A, Wickles S, Witte G, Hurt E, Beckmann R, Sinning I . 6 . Structural characterization of a eukaryotic chaperone--the ribosome-associated complex . Nature Structural & Molecular Biology . 20 . 1 . 23–8 . January 2013 . 23202586 . 10.1038/nsmb.2447 . 22950001 .
4. Lee K, Sharma R, Shrestha OK, Bingman CA, Craig EA . Dual interaction of the Hsp70 J-protein cochaperone Zuotin with the 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits . Nature Structural & Molecular Biology . 23 . 11 . 1003–1010 . November 2016 . 27669034 . 5097012 . 10.1038/nsmb.3299 .