The di-aromatic pentapeptide repeats of the human peroxisome import receptor PEX5 are separate high affinity binding sites for the peroxisomal membrane protein PEX14.

PEX5 functions as a mobile import receptor for peroxisomal matrix proteins with a peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1). A critical step within the PTS1-import pathway is the interaction between PEX5 and the peroxisome membrane-associated protein PEX14. Based on two-hybrid analyses in mammalian cells and complementary in vitro binding assays, we demonstrate that the evolutionarily conserved pentapeptide repeat motifs, WX(E/D/Q/A/S)(E/D/Q)(F/Y), in PEX5 bind to PEX14 with high affinity. The results obtained indicate that each of the seven di-aromatic pentapeptides of human PEX5 interacts separately at the same binding site in the N terminus of PEX14 with equilibrium dissociation constants in the low nanomolar range. Mutational analysis of the PEX14-binding motifs reveals that the conserved aromatic amino acids at position 1 or 5 are essential for high affinity binding. We propose that the side chains of the aromatic amino acids are in close proximity as part of an amphipathic alpha-helix and together form hydrophobic anchors for binding PEX5 to individual PEX14 molecules.