Auto-regulatory J-domain interactions control Hsp70 recruitment to the DnaJB8 chaperone

The Hsp40/Hsp70 chaperone families combine versatile folding capacity with high substrate specificity, which is mainly facilitated by Hsp40s. The structure and function of many Hsp40s remain poorly understood, particularly oligomeric Hsp40s that suppress protein aggregation. Here, we used a combination of biochemical and structural approaches to shed new light on the domain interactions of the Hsp40 DnaJB8, and how they regulate recruitment of partner Hsp70s. We identify an interaction between the J-Domain (JD) and C-terminal domain (CTD) of DnaJB8 that sequesters the JD surface, preventing Hsp70 interaction. We propose a new model for DnaJB8-Hsp70 regulation, whereby the JD-CTD interaction of DnaJB8 acts as a reversible autoinhibitory switch that can control the binding of Hsp70. These findings suggest that the evolutionarily conserved CTD of DnaJB8 is a regulatory element of chaperone activity in the proteostasis network.