Abstract

Prefoldin is a hetero-hexameric ATP-independent chaperone, shared by eukaryotes and archaea, which binds non-native proteins preventing them from aggregation. We report the identification and characterization in vivo and in vitro of the first prefoldin from a crenarchaeon, the hyperthermophile Sulfolobus solfataricus. A functional complex was obtained either co-expressing the α- and β-prefoldin subunits in Escherichia coli, or incubating at high temperature the separately expressed subunits. In S. solfataricus, prefoldin expression and apparent molecular weight were not affected by either heat or cold shock.

Keywords: Chaperone, archaea, protein folding, protein synthesis, thermophiles