Electrostatic Complementarity at the ClpX Substrate-EntryChannel Governs ATP-Driven Protein Unfolding

AAA+ proteases maintain proteostasis by mechanically unfolding protein substrates before degradation, yet how ATP-driven pulling is converted into productive unfolding remains poorly understood.

AAA+ proteases maintain proteostasis by mechanically unfolding protein substrates before degradation, yet how ATP-driven pulling is converted into productive unfolding remains poorly understood. Here, using ssrA-tagged GFP substrates spanning a range of surface charges, we show…