Three cryo-EM structures of CD109 reveal its mechanism of protease inhibition

Summary: CD109 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein. In addition to regulating transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) network signaling, CD109 is also a protease inhibitor. Protease cleavage of its bait region triggers a conformational change releasing the major fragment from the cell su...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ana V. Almeida, Kathrine T. Jensen, Seandean L. Harwood, Martin H. Jørgensen, Nadia S. Nielsen, Ida B. Thøgersen, Jan J. Enghild, Gregers R. Andersen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Cell Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725005583
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Summary:Summary: CD109 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein. In addition to regulating transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) network signaling, CD109 is also a protease inhibitor. Protease cleavage of its bait region triggers a conformational change releasing the major fragment from the cell surface, exposing a reactive thioester that can conjugate proteases. To understand this protease inhibition mechanism, we determined cryoelectron microscopy structures of CD109 in native, protease-activated, and methylamine-activated conformations. Despite CD109’s low sequence similarity with the protease inhibitor A2ML1, CD109 adopts a similar protease-activated conformation, suggesting a shared mechanism of protease inhibition. Deglycosylation of CD109 does not affect chymotrypsin conjugation but enhances substrate access, suggesting that CD109 glycans contribute to protease inhibition. Our data provide a structural basis for understanding CD109’s protease-triggered membrane release, its protease inhibitory mechanism, and additional biological functions.
ISSN:2211-1247