Crystal structure of CCM3, a cerebral cavernous malformation protein critical for vascular integrity

J Biol Chem. 2010 Jul 30;285(31):24099-107. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.128470. Epub 2010 May 19.

Abstract

CCM3 mutations are associated with cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM), a disease affecting 0.1-0.5% of the human population. CCM3 (PDCD10, TFAR15) is thought to form a CCM complex with CCM1 and CCM2; however, the molecular basis for these interactions is not known. We have determined the 2.5 A crystal structure of CCM3. This structure shows an all alpha-helical protein containing two domains, an N-terminal dimerization domain with a fold not previously observed, and a C-terminal focal adhesion targeting (FAT)-homology domain. We show that CCM3 binds CCM2 via this FAT-homology domain and that mutation of a highly conserved FAK-like hydrophobic pocket (HP1) abrogates CCM3-CCM2 interaction. This CCM3 FAT-homology domain also interacts with paxillin LD motifs using the same surface, and partial CCM3 co-localization with paxillin in cells is lost on HP1 mutation. Disease-related CCM3 truncations affect the FAT-homology domain suggesting a role for the FAT-homology domain in the etiology of CCM.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / chemistry*
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray / methods
  • Dimerization
  • Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Mutation
  • Paxillin / chemistry
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • PDCD10 protein, human
  • Paxillin
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins