Characterization of a fold in TANGO1 evolved from SH3 domains for the export of bulky cargos

Abstract

Abstract Bulky cargos like procollagens, apolipoproteins, and mucins exceed the size of conventional COPII vesicles. During evolution a process emerged in metazoans, predominantly governed by the TANGO1 protein family, that organizes cargo at the exit sites of the endoplasmic reticulum and facilitates export by the formation of tunnel-like connections between the ER and Golgi. Hitherto, cargo-recognition appeared to be mediated by an SH3-like domain. Based on structural and dynamic data as well as interaction studies from NMR spectroscopy and microscale thermophoresis presented here, we show that the luminal cargo-recognition domain of TANGO1 adopts a new functional fold for which we suggest the term MOTH (MIA, Otoraplin, TALI/TANGO1 homology) domain. These MOTH domains, as well as an evolutionary intermediate found in invertebrates, constitute a distinct domain family that emerged from SH3 domains and acquired the ability to bind collagen.