hip-1

UniProt ID: G5EE04
Organism: Caenorhabditis elegans
Review Status: DRAFT
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Gene Description

hip-1 encodes the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of Hsp70-interacting protein (Hip/ST13), a member of the FAM10 family and a co-chaperone of the cytosolic Hsp70 (Hsc70) chaperone system. The protein has a modular architecture: an N-terminal dimerization domain (Hip_N) that drives homo-oligomerization into a tetramer, a central tetratricopeptide-repeat (TPR) region that binds the ATPase (nucleotide-binding) domain of Hsp70, and a C-terminal STI1/DP domain. Hip binds the ADP-bound state of Hsp70 and stabilizes it, slowing ADP release and prolonging the high-affinity association of Hsp70 with substrate; because Hip and nucleotide-exchange factors bind Hsp70 in a mutually exclusive manner, Hip acts as an attenuator of the Hsp70 reaction cycle that biases the system toward substrate holding and folding rather than release and degradation. Hip also has intrinsic holdase activity, binding non-native polypeptides to prevent their aggregation, but it lacks ATPase activity and cannot refold substrates on its own. In C. elegans, HIP-1 acts through Hsp70 to suppress proteotoxic aggregation in vivo, and it is predominantly cytosolic, consistent with a role in the cytosolic protein quality-control network. It is distinct from the C. elegans HOP/Stip1 ortholog sti-1, which occupies a different node of the Hsp70/Hsp90 system.

Existing Annotations Review

GO Term Evidence Action Reason
GO:0006457 protein folding
IBA
GO_REF:0000033
ACCEPT
Summary: Phylogenetically inferred biological process. HIP-1 is an Hsp70 co-chaperone that cooperates with Hsc70 in the folding of newly synthesized and non-native polypeptides; protein folding is the core process it participates in.
Reason: Consistent with the conserved FAM10/Hip co-chaperone role and with experimental evidence from orthologs that Hip cooperates with Hsc70 in polypeptide folding and plays a critical role in protein folding in the eukaryotic cytoplasm.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8999928
The homo-oligomeric Hip protein cooperates with the 70-kDa heat shock cognate Hsc70 in the folding of newly synthesized polypeptide chains
PMID:9183013
play a critical role in protein folding in the eukaryotic cytoplasm
GO:0030544 Hsp70 protein binding
IBA
GO_REF:0000033
ACCEPT
Summary: Core, defining molecular function of a Hip-family co-chaperone: HIP-1 binds the N-terminal ATPase (nucleotide-binding) domain of Hsp70/Hsc70, specifically in the ADP state, and stabilizes the high substrate-affinity conformation.
Reason: This is the informative, partner-specific molecular function of the protein and is supported by biochemical mapping in orthologs showing Hip binds the Hsc70 ATPase domain exclusively and by structural work showing it brackets the ATPase domain to lock in ADP.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:9528774
Hip interacts exclusively with the amino-terminal ATPase domain of Hsc70
PMID:7585962
One Hip oligomer binds the ATPase domains of at least two Hsc70 molecules
GO:0005634 nucleus
IEA
GO_REF:0000117
REMOVE
Summary: Electronic (ARBA machine-learning) cellular-component annotation with no experimental support. Hip/ST13 is an established cytosolic co-chaperone of the cytosolic Hsp70 machinery, and there is no evidence for nuclear localization of C. elegans HIP-1.
Reason: Over-propagated electronic inference that conflicts with the well-established cytosolic biology of Hip-family co-chaperones; not supported by any experimental or phylogenetic evidence for this gene.
GO:0046983 protein dimerization activity
IEA
GO_REF:0000002
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: InterPro-derived (IPR034649, Hip_N) molecular function. HIP-1 genuinely homo-oligomerizes (dimer of dimers / tetramer) through its N-terminal Hip_N domain, which provides avidity for binding multiple Hsp70 molecules.
Reason: Self-association is real and functionally relevant but is a structural property rather than the informative core molecular function; retained as non-core. The N-terminal oligomerization determinant and the tetrameric state are documented experimentally in orthologs.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8999928
a domain required for homo-oligomerization was identified at the extreme amino terminus of Hip
PMID:9183013
the chaperone forms a tetramer similar to what has been reported for the native protein from rat liver cytosol
GO:0070013 intracellular organelle lumen
IEA
GO_REF:0000117
REMOVE
Summary: Electronic (ARBA machine-learning) cellular-component annotation with no experimental support and inconsistent with the cytosolic localization of Hip-family co-chaperones.
Reason: Over-propagated electronic inference; an organelle-lumen location is not supported by any experimental or phylogenetic evidence for HIP-1 and conflicts with its cytosolic function.
GO:1902494 catalytic complex
IEA
GO_REF:0000117
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED
Summary: Electronic (ARBA machine-learning) annotation placing HIP-1 in a catalytic complex. HIP-1 itself is non-catalytic (no ATPase activity); it transiently associates with the catalytic Hsp70 ATPase, but "catalytic complex" is generic and mischaracterizes HIP-1's own role.
Reason: Uninformative and potentially misleading: HIP-1 does not catalyze a reaction and is not a stable structural subunit of a defined catalytic complex; its interaction with Hsp70 is transient and regulatory.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:9183013
The recombinant form of Hip did not catalyze the hydrolysis of ATP and ATP analogs
GO:0005783 endoplasmic reticulum
HDA
PMID:21611156
Determining the sub-cellular localization of proteins within...
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: High-throughput direct-assay localization from a body-wall-muscle GFP-localizome: T12D8.8::GFP fell in category 6, which includes the ER/SR alongside dense bodies and the M-line/thick filaments.
Reason: Experimental (HDA) but from muscle-specific overexpression of a C-terminally GFP-tagged protein, which the authors explicitly caution may perturb localization; retained as a non-core, muscle-context localization rather than the core cytosolic site of action.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:21611156
They appear to be in the dense bodies, M-line and/or thick filaments, as well as the ER or SR
PMID:21611156
the presence or perhaps over expression of the GFP-tagged protein may be disruptive
GO:0030017 sarcomere
HDA
PMID:21611156
Determining the sub-cellular localization of proteins within...
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: High-throughput GFP-localizome placing T12D8.8::GFP at sarcomeric structures (M-line/thick filaments) in body-wall muscle (category 6).
Reason: Experimental (HDA) but from muscle overexpression of a GFP fusion with acknowledged tagging/overexpression caveats; a genuine sarcomeric quality-control role is biologically plausible for a chaperone but unconfirmed for HIP-1, so kept as non-core.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:21611156
They appear to be in the dense bodies, M-line and/or thick filaments, as well as the ER or SR
GO:0055120 striated muscle dense body
HDA
PMID:21611156
Determining the sub-cellular localization of proteins within...
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: High-throughput GFP-localizome placing T12D8.8::GFP at the dense body (Z-disk analog) in body-wall muscle (category 6).
Reason: Experimental (HDA) but from muscle overexpression of a GFP fusion with acknowledged tagging/overexpression caveats; retained as a non-core, muscle-context localization rather than the core cytosolic site of action.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:21611156
They appear to be in the dense bodies, M-line and/or thick filaments, as well as the ER or SR
GO:0005829 cytosol
ISS
PMID:9183013
Characterization of the molecular-chaperone function of the ...
NEW
Summary: Proposed core localization. Hip/ST13 orthologs are predominantly cytosolic co-chaperones of the cytosolic Hsp70 machinery, and worm HIP-1 acts through Hsp70 in the cytosol; the cytosol is inferred as the primary site of action (the muscle GFP-overexpression pattern notwithstanding).
Reason: Not present in GOA but strongly supported by ortholog localization (native Hip purifies from cytosol) and by the cytosolic Hsp70-dependent proteostasis role demonstrated in the worm.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:9183013
the native protein from rat liver cytosol
GO:0051082 unfolded protein binding
ISS
PMID:9183013
Characterization of the molecular-chaperone function of the ...
NEW
Summary: Proposed molecular function. HIP-1 has intrinsic holdase activity, binding non-native/unfolded polypeptides to prevent aggregation, independent of the Hsp70 ATP cycle, as shown for the ortholog.
Reason: Not present in GOA but experimentally demonstrated for the ortholog (specific binding to reduced, carboxymethylated alpha-lactalbumin but not the native form); an informative MF complementing the Hsp70-binding activity.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:9183013
The role of Hip as a molecular chaperone has been confirmed by its ability to strongly bind to the reduced, carboxymethylated form of alpha-lactalbumin
GO:1903334 positive regulation of protein folding
ISS
PMID:23812373
Structure and function of Hip, an attenuator of the Hsp70 ch...
NEW
Summary: Proposed biological process. By stabilizing the ADP-bound state and attenuating the Hsp70 cycle, HIP-1 biases the chaperone system toward productive substrate holding and folding and enhances aggregation prevention by Hsp70.
Reason: Not present in GOA but follows directly from the attenuator mechanism and the in vivo anti-aggregation phenotype; captures the regulatory direction of HIP-1's effect on folding.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:23812373
This mechanism explains how Hip enhances aggregation prevention by Hsp70

Core Functions

HIP-1 is a co-chaperone of the cytosolic Hsp70 (Hsc70) system. It binds the ATPase/nucleotide-binding domain of Hsp70 and stabilizes the ADP-bound, high substrate-affinity state, forming a bracket that locks ADP in the cleft and, because it is mutually exclusive with nucleotide-exchange factors, attenuates the Hsp70 reaction cycle so that substrates are held and folded rather than prematurely released. In C. elegans this activity suppresses proteotoxic aggregation in an Hsp70-dependent manner.

Supporting Evidence:
  • PMID:23812373
    to form a bracket that locks ADP in the binding cleft
  • PMID:19875982
    the hypothesis that it might do so also in vivo is supported by studies of a Caenorhabditis elegans model of alphaSyn aggregation

Independent of the Hsp70 cycle, HIP-1 has intrinsic holdase (chaperone) activity: it binds non-native/unfolded polypeptides to prevent their aggregation. It has no ATPase activity and cannot refold substrates on its own, and it homo-oligomerizes via its N-terminal Hip_N domain into a tetramer, giving avidity for multiple Hsp70 molecules.

Molecular Function:
unfolded protein binding
Cellular Locations:
Supporting Evidence:
  • PMID:9183013
    The role of Hip as a molecular chaperone has been confirmed by its ability to strongly bind to the reduced, carboxymethylated form of alpha-lactalbumin

References

Gene Ontology annotation through association of InterPro records with GO terms
Annotation inferences using phylogenetic trees
Electronic Gene Ontology annotations created by ARBA machine learning models
Hip, a novel cochaperone involved in the eukaryotic Hsc70/Hsp40 reaction cycle.
Characterization of functional domains of the eukaryotic co-chaperone Hip.
The carboxy-terminal domain of Hsc70 provides binding sites for a distinct set of chaperone cofactors.
Characterization of the molecular-chaperone function of the heat-shock-cognate-70-interacting protein.
Structure and function of Hip, an attenuator of the Hsp70 chaperone cycle.
Chaperone proteostasis in Parkinson's disease: stabilization of the Hsp70/alpha-synuclein complex by Hip.
Determining the sub-cellular localization of proteins within Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle.

Suggested Questions for Experts

Q: Which endogenous C. elegans proteins are obligate HIP-1 clients, and does HIP-1 loss produce a phenotype (development, lifespan, proteotoxic-stress resistance, muscle maintenance) under normal conditions?

Q: Does endogenous HIP-1 localize to the cytosol in most tissues, and is the muscle sarcomeric/ER pattern seen on overexpression a genuine site of function?

Suggested Experiments

Experiment: Generate a hip-1 loss-of-function allele (deletion or auxin-inducible degron) and phenotype development, brood size, lifespan, thermotolerance, and heat/proteotoxic stress resistance, with and without sti-1/HOP and hsp-90 co-depletion to test redundancy in the chaperone network.

Hypothesis: HIP-1 buffers proteotoxic stress by stabilizing Hsp70-substrate complexes on endogenous clients.

Type: genetics / phenotyping

Experiment: Immunoprecipitate CRISPR-tagged endogenous HIP-1 (and its Hsp70 partner HSP-1) from staged worms and identify co-purifying substrates by mass spectrometry, comparing basal and heat-stressed conditions.

Hypothesis: HIP-1 has a defined set of endogenous folding clients in the worm.

Type: interaction proteomics

Knowledge Gaps

What is not known — curated, literature-grounded statements of the open unknowns (the inverse of core functions).

Gap: The endogenous physiological clients/substrates of C. elegans HIP-1, and the loss-of-function phenotype of hip-1 under normal (non-transgenic) conditions, are undefined. The only direct in vivo worm evidence uses an overexpressed heterologous aggregation reporter (human alpha-synuclein), so it does not reveal which native worm proteins depend on HIP-1 or what its loss does to development, lifespan, or stress resistance.

OPEN BIOLOGY RESIDUAL_SUBGAP

What is known: The conserved molecular mechanism is solid (HIP-1 binds the Hsp70 ADP state, attenuates the chaperone cycle, and has holdase activity) and genetic epistasis in the worm shows HIP-1 acts through Hsp70. What is unknown is the native client set and the organismal phenotype of HIP-1 loss.

Significance: Without native clients or a described phenotype, HIP-1's dedicated biological role in the worm cannot be separated from redundant, buffered co-chaperone functions (the sti-1/HOP and Hsp90 arms), leaving its importance for proteostasis in the intact animal unquantified.

What would resolve it: Phenotype a hip-1 deletion/RNAi allele across development, lifespan, and proteotoxic-stress paradigms, and identify endogenous clients by immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry of tagged endogenous HIP-1.

Provenance (the field's own admissions):

Gap: Where endogenous HIP-1 acts in the C. elegans cell is not directly measured. Cytosolic localization is inferred from mammalian orthologs, and the only worm localization data come from muscle-specific GFP overexpression that placed the protein at dense bodies, the M-line/thick filaments, and the ER/SR; whether HIP-1 has a genuine sarcomeric/muscle quality-control role is unconfirmed.

OPEN BIOLOGY CC_DARK

What is known: Mammalian Hip/ST13 is firmly cytosolic. The worm GFP-overexpression screen reported a muscle sarcomeric/ER pattern for T12D8.8, but with explicit tagging/overexpression caveats and no endogenous-localization confirmation.

Significance: Distinguishing a general cytosolic role from a dedicated sarcomeric/muscle quality-control function would clarify whether HIP-1 contributes to muscle protein maintenance, a tissue where chaperone machinery is known to service the contractile apparatus.

What would resolve it: CRISPR endogenous tagging of hip-1 followed by in vivo imaging across tissues, and tissue-specific rescue/depletion to test a muscle-autonomous requirement.

Provenance (the field's own admissions):

Deep Research

Falcon

(hip-1-deep-research-falcon.md)
Comprehensive Research Report: *C. elegans* hip-1 (T12D8.8) — An Hsp70 Co-chaperone of the Hip/ST13 Family Falcon Edison Scientific Literature 30 citations 2 artifacts 2026-07-03T21:37:11.439955

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Comprehensive Research Report: C. elegans hip-1 (T12D8.8) — An Hsp70 Co-chaperone of the Hip/ST13 Family

1. Gene Identity and Nomenclature

The C. elegans gene hip-1 (systematic name T12D8.8; UniProt accession G5EE04) encodes an STI1 domain-containing protein that is the nematode ortholog of mammalian Hip (Hsp70-interacting protein), also known as ST13 (Suppressor of Tumorigenicity 13) or p48 (shi2007whatweknow pages 1-2). It is important to distinguish this protein from the C. elegans sti-1 gene, which encodes the ortholog of HOP (Hsp70–Hsp90 organizing protein) — a related but functionally distinct co-chaperone (song2009c.eleganssti1 pages 8-9). While both Hip and Hop share STI1-type domains, they occupy different positions in the Hsp70 chaperone network. HIP-1 belongs to the FAM10 protein family, which is the gene family designation for ST13/Hip orthologs across eukaryotes (shi2007whatweknow pages 1-2). The protein is conserved across animals, plants, and protozoa, though notably absent from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi (li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35).

2. Protein Function: Hsp70 Co-chaperone Activity

2.1 Primary Molecular Function

HIP-1 functions as a co-chaperone of the Hsp70 family of molecular chaperones. Its primary biochemical activity is to stabilize the ADP-bound state of Hsp70, thereby prolonging Hsp70–substrate complexes and preventing premature substrate release (leak2014heatshockproteins pages 4-5, shi2007whatweknow pages 2-4). In mammalian systems, Hip binds to the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD/ATPase domain) of Hsp70 specifically when Hsp70 is in the ADP-bound conformation, with a dissociation constant (K_D) of approximately 8–10 µM (li2013structureandfunction pages 82-86, li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125). One Hip dimer binds two Hsp70 molecules (li2013structureandfunction pages 82-86).

Structurally, Hip's TPR domain forms a "bracket" over the nucleotide-binding cleft of Hsp70, dampening dynamic movement of subdomain IIB and slowing ADP dissociation (li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125, karunanayake2021cytosolicproteinquality pages 8-10). This mechanism locks Hsp70 in its high-affinity substrate-binding state (the "closed lid" state), effectively attenuating the Hsp70 chaperone cycle and extending the dwell time of substrates on the chaperone (li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35, li2013structureandfunction pages 125-129).

Hip also possesses intrinsic holdase activity: it can bind unfolded proteins and prevent their aggregation independently of Hsp70, though it cannot fold substrates on its own and has no ATPase activity (li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35, velten2002domainstructureof pages 7-7, velten2002domainstructureof pages 5-7).

2.2 Role in Protein Folding vs. Degradation Decisions

Hip functions as a pro-folding co-chaperone that biases the Hsp70 system toward protein refolding rather than degradation. It competes with the nucleotide exchange factor BAG-1 for binding to the Hsp70 ATPase domain (shi2007whatweknow pages 2-4, leak2014heatshockproteins pages 4-5, li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35). While Hip stabilizes Hsp70–substrate complexes to promote refolding, BAG-1 stimulates ADP release and substrate dissociation, which can route substrates toward proteasomal degradation. Under normal cellular conditions, Hip is typically 5–10 times more abundant than BAG-1 or BAG-2, favoring the folding pathway (arndt2007tobeor pages 6-8). Importantly, Hip is not found in complexes with CHIP (the E3 ubiquitin ligase that links Hsp70 to the proteasome), suggesting steric incompatibility between the pro-folding (Hip) and pro-degradation (CHIP) co-chaperone pathways on Hsp70 (arndt2007tobeor pages 6-8).

3. Domain Architecture

The conserved domain architecture of HIP-1 inferred from the UniProt annotation and detailed structural studies of mammalian Hip is summarized below:

Domain name InterPro ID Approximate residue positions in mammalian Hip/ST13 Known function
Hip_N IPR034649 1–44 N-terminal dimerization domain; forms a stable Hip dimer that supports avid Hsp70 binding and co-chaperone function (li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35, li2013structureandfunction pages 35-39)
STI1_HS-bd IPR006636 ~113–214 TPR-containing Hsp70-binding module; binds the Hsp70 nucleotide-binding/ATPase domain preferentially in the ADP-bound state and stabilizes Hsp70-substrate complexes by slowing ADP release (li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35, li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125, shi2007whatweknow pages 1-2)
TPR repeat IPR019734 within ~113–214 Repeated tetratricopeptide motifs that build the Hsp70-binding scaffold; mediate protein–protein interaction with Hsp70 and contribute to attenuation of the Hsp70 chaperone cycle (li2013structureandfunction pages 35-39, li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125)
TPR-like helical domain superfamily IPR011990 within ~113–214 Helical superstructure underlying the TPR region; provides the structural scaffold for docking onto Hsp70’s nucleotide-binding domain and forming the “bracket” that stabilizes the ADP-bound conformation (li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125, karunanayake2021cytosolicproteinquality pages 8-10)
GGMP repeat region ~278–311 Flexible repeat-rich region with seven imperfect GGMP tetrapeptide repeats; precise role remains unresolved, but it is part of the conserved C-terminal region associated with Hip function in substrate/chaperone complexes (li2013structureandfunction pages 35-39, velten2002domainstructureof pages 5-7)
STI1/HOP_DP IPR041243 ~312–368 C-terminal DP domain; contains hydrophobic grooves implicated in binding non-native substrate segments and is important for substrate/client handling and conformational maturation in vivo (li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35, li2013structureandfunction pages 35-39, li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125)

Table: This table summarizes the conserved domain architecture of C. elegans HIP-1/T12D8.8 inferred from UniProt domain calls and mechanistic studies of mammalian Hip/ST13. It is useful for mapping sequence features to likely co-chaperone functions in Hsp70-dependent proteostasis.

The multi-domain organization is connected by long, negatively charged, disordered linkers that provide conformational flexibility, allowing Hip to recognize diverse Hsp70–substrate complexes (li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125). The N-terminal dimerization domain forms a compact α-helical dimer with slow subunit exchange (half-time ~6 hours), which is essential for avidity-based binding to multiple Hsp70 molecules simultaneously (li2013structureandfunction pages 35-39, li2013structureandfunction pages 125-129). The two-domain structural organization (an elongated N-terminal dimeric domain and a globular C-terminal domain) was also confirmed by limited proteolysis and biophysical characterization (velten2002domainstructureof pages 7-7, velten2002domainstructureof pages 5-7).

4. Subcellular Localization

Hip/ST13 is predominantly a cytosolic protein. Studies in mammalian cells demonstrate that Hip shows a uniform distribution throughout the cytoplasm, with an estimated concentration in reticulocyte lysate of approximately 1 µM (shi2007whatweknow pages 1-2, wu2019acytosolicchaperone pages 2-3, li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35). Immunostaining confirms cytosolic localization distinct from ER-associated punctate patterns (wu2019acytosolicchaperone pages 2-3). This cytoplasmic localization is consistent with its function as a co-chaperone of the cytosolic Hsp70 machinery. By inference, C. elegans HIP-1 is predicted to similarly function in the cytosol, where it can engage the nematode Hsp70 homologs (such as HSP-1) in their chaperone cycles.

5. Biological Roles and Experimental Evidence in C. elegans

5.1 Proteostasis and α-Synuclein Aggregation

The most direct experimental evidence for C. elegans HIP-1 function comes from a landmark study by Roodveldt et al. (2009) using a transgenic worm model expressing α-synuclein-YFP in body wall muscle cells. Key findings include:

  • RNAi knockdown of hip-1 (T12D8.8) significantly increased the number of α-synuclein inclusions by 2.3-fold (P < 0.0001), demonstrating that HIP-1 is required for suppression of α-synuclein aggregation in vivo (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10).

  • Double knockdown of hsp-70 (C12C8.1) and hip-1 reduced inclusions by approximately 60% compared to single hip-1 knockdown, reaching a level similar to hsp-70 knockdown alone (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 10-10). This provides strong genetic evidence that HIP-1 acts through and with Hsp70 in an epistatic relationship, functioning upstream of Hsp70 to modulate its anti-aggregation activity.

  • In vitro reconstitution showed that addition of Hip to Hsp70 in the presence of ATP completely suppressed the conversion of α-synuclein into amyloid species, maintaining both Hsp70 and α-synuclein in solution (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8). Hip alone did not inhibit fibril formation, confirming that its anti-amyloidogenic activity is mediated through Hsp70 (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8).

The mechanistic model posits that without Hip, the ADP-bound Hsp70/α-synuclein complex can co-aggregate, depleting functional Hsp70 from solution and allowing rapid α-synuclein fibril formation. Hip stabilizes the ADP-Hsp70 complex and maintains Hsp70 in solution, thereby sustaining chaperone-mediated inhibition of amyloid pathways (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 10-10).

5.2 Chaperone Network Context in C. elegans

The C. elegans chaperone network includes a separate co-chaperone, STI-1, which is the ortholog of mammalian HOP/Stip1 and mediates client transfer from Hsp70 to Hsp90 (song2009c.eleganssti1 pages 8-9). CeSTI-1 is involved in aging and thermotolerance, with loss of function shortening lifespan by 68–77% at different temperatures (song2009c.eleganssti1 pages 8-9). HIP-1 and STI-1 thus occupy complementary roles in the nematode proteostasis network: HIP-1 stabilizes Hsp70–substrate complexes to promote the holding/folding function, while STI-1 facilitates substrate transfer between the Hsp70 and Hsp90 systems.

6. Emerging Roles: Mitochondrial Precursor Import

A recent study (Juszkiewicz et al., 2025) has identified a previously unappreciated function for St13/Hip in mitochondrial precursor protein import. St13 directly engages mitochondrial targeting signals (MTS) through the hydrophobic groove of its STI1 domain, accommodating the hydrophobic face of amphipathic MTS helices (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10). Upon emergence of the precursor polypeptide from the ribosome, St13 recruits and facilitates loading of Hsc70 onto the precursor, stabilizing Hsc70's ADP-bound state and maintaining the precursor in an unfolded, import-competent state (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10, juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 7-9). St13 also facilitates recruitment of the Stip1-Hsp90 system to these precursors (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 7-9). The authors propose that St13 is the long-sought "presequence binding factor" (PBF), a ~50 kDa protein previously identified in early studies as interacting with mitochondrial presequences (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10). During mitochondrial import stress, this interaction becomes particularly important for buffering precursor degradation and preserving import competence (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 1-2). This finding suggests that C. elegans HIP-1, by domain conservation, may similarly participate in mitochondrial protein biogenesis.

7. Summary of Key Evidence

Study/Reference Experimental approach Key finding Functional implication
Roodveldt et al., 2009, EMBO Journal RNAi knockdown of hip-1/T12D8.8 in a transgenic C. elegans α-synuclein-YFP inclusion model; confocal quantification of inclusions in young adults hip-1 RNAi increased α-synuclein inclusions 2.3-fold relative to control (P<0.0001) (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10) hip-1 is required in vivo to suppress proteotoxic α-synuclein aggregation and supports proteostasis in the worm cytosol (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 10-10)
Roodveldt et al., 2009, EMBO Journal Double RNAi knockdown of hsp70 (C12C8.1) + hip-1 (T12D8.8) in the same C. elegans α-synuclein model Double knockdown reduced inclusions by ~60% compared with hip-1 knockdown alone, approaching the hsp70-knockdown phenotype (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 10-10) Provides genetic evidence that hip-1 acts through/with Hsp70, functioning upstream to modulate Hsp70-dependent anti-aggregation activity (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10)
Roodveldt et al., 2009, EMBO Journal In vitro α-synuclein aggregation assay with purified proteins; ThT fluorescence, TEM, and solubility analysis in the presence of Hip + Hsp70 + ATP Addition of Hip to Hsp70 in the presence of ATP completely suppressed conversion of α-synuclein into amyloid species and maintained Hsp70 and α-synuclein in soluble form (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 1-2) hip-1/Hip is an Hsp70 co-chaperone that prevents Hsp70 co-aggregation and stabilizes anti-amyloid chaperone function under ATP-turnover conditions (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10)
Li et al., 2013, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Structural and biochemical characterization of mammalian Hip/ST13, including domain mapping and Hsp70-binding analysis Hip’s TPR domain binds the Hsp70 nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and forms a bracket over the nucleotide-binding cleft, stabilizing the ADP-bound state; Hip preferentially binds ADP-Hsp70 (KD ~8–10 µM) (li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125, li2013structureandfunction pages 82-86) Explains the likely molecular mechanism of worm hip-1: a conserved Hip-family co-chaperone that slows ADP release, prolongs substrate holding, and prevents premature substrate release (li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35, li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125)
Juszkiewicz et al., 2025, Molecular Biology of the Cell Biochemical and mechanistic analysis of St13 on mitochondrial precursor proteins and mitochondrial targeting signals (MTSs) St13 directly engages mitochondrial targeting signals via its STI1 domain hydrophobic groove and recruits/retains Hsc70/Hsp90 on precursors to maintain import competence (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10, juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 7-9, juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 1-2) Expands Hip-family function beyond generic proteostasis: hip-1-like proteins can act in mitochondrial precursor triage/import competence, suggesting additional conserved roles for worm hip-1 inferred from domain architecture (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10, juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 1-2)

Table: This table summarizes the main experimental findings supporting functional annotation of C. elegans hip-1 and its orthologous Hip/ST13 mechanism. It links worm genetic evidence to conserved biochemical and structural studies that explain how HIP-1 acts as an Hsp70 co-chaperone.

8. Conclusions

C. elegans hip-1 (T12D8.8, UniProt G5EE04) encodes a cytosolic co-chaperone of the Hip/ST13/FAM10 family that functions as a critical regulator of Hsp70 chaperone activity. Its primary molecular function is to stabilize the ADP-bound state of Hsp70, prolonging substrate engagement and promoting protein folding over degradation. The protein achieves this through a conserved multi-domain architecture comprising an N-terminal dimerization domain (Hip_N), a central TPR domain that binds the Hsp70 ATPase domain, and a C-terminal DP domain involved in substrate interactions. Direct experimental evidence in C. elegans demonstrates that HIP-1 is essential for suppressing α-synuclein aggregation in an Hsp70-dependent manner (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8, roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10). The protein functions in the cytosol where it participates in general proteostasis and, based on recent evidence from the conserved mammalian ortholog, may also play a role in maintaining mitochondrial precursor import competence (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10, juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 7-9). HIP-1 represents a key node in the C. elegans cytosolic protein quality control network, operating alongside but distinct from other co-chaperones such as STI-1/HOP and CHIP in directing client protein fate decisions.

References

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  6. (li2013structureandfunction pages 82-86): Zhuo Li, F Ulrich Hartl, and Andreas Bracher. Structure and function of hip, an attenuator of the hsp70 chaperone cycle. Nature Structural &Molecular Biology, 20:929-935, Jun 2013. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2608, doi:10.1038/nsmb.2608. This article has 97 citations.

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  8. (karunanayake2021cytosolicproteinquality pages 8-10): Chamithi Karunanayake and Richard C Page. Cytosolic protein quality control machinery: interactions of hsp70 with a network of co-chaperones and substrates. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 246:1419-1434, Mar 2021. URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/1535370221999812, doi:10.1177/1535370221999812. This article has 21 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  9. (li2013structureandfunction pages 125-129): Zhuo Li, F Ulrich Hartl, and Andreas Bracher. Structure and function of hip, an attenuator of the hsp70 chaperone cycle. Nature Structural &Molecular Biology, 20:929-935, Jun 2013. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2608, doi:10.1038/nsmb.2608. This article has 97 citations.

  10. (velten2002domainstructureof pages 7-7): Marion Velten, Nathalie Gomez-Vrielynck, Alain Chaffotte, and Moncef M. Ladjimi. Domain structure of the hsc70 cochaperone, hip*. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277:259-266, Jan 2002. URL: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m106881200, doi:10.1074/jbc.m106881200. This article has 30 citations.

  11. (velten2002domainstructureof pages 5-7): Marion Velten, Nathalie Gomez-Vrielynck, Alain Chaffotte, and Moncef M. Ladjimi. Domain structure of the hsc70 cochaperone, hip*. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277:259-266, Jan 2002. URL: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m106881200, doi:10.1074/jbc.m106881200. This article has 30 citations.

  12. (arndt2007tobeor pages 6-8): V. Arndt, Christian Rogon, and J. Höhfeld. To be, or not to be — molecular chaperones in protein degradation. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 64:2525-2541, Jun 2007. URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-007-7188-6, doi:10.1007/s00018-007-7188-6. This article has 248 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.

  13. (li2013structureandfunction pages 35-39): Zhuo Li, F Ulrich Hartl, and Andreas Bracher. Structure and function of hip, an attenuator of the hsp70 chaperone cycle. Nature Structural &Molecular Biology, 20:929-935, Jun 2013. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2608, doi:10.1038/nsmb.2608. This article has 97 citations.

  14. (wu2019acytosolicchaperone pages 2-3): Yang Wu, Jingzi Zhang, Lei Fang, Hon Cheung Lee, and Yong Juan Zhao. A cytosolic chaperone complex controls folding and degradation of type iii cd38. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 294:4247-4258, Mar 2019. URL: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.ra118.005844, doi:10.1074/jbc.ra118.005844. This article has 15 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.

  15. (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8): Cintia Roodveldt, Carlos W Bertoncini, August Andersson, Annemieke T van der Goot, Shang-Te Hsu, Rafael Fernández-Montesinos, Jannie de Jong, Tjakko J van Ham, Ellen A Nollen, David Pozo, John Christodoulou, and Christopher M Dobson. Chaperone proteostasis in parkinson's disease: stabilization of the hsp70/α‐synuclein complex by hip. The EMBO Journal, 28:3758-3770, Dec 2009. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2009.298, doi:10.1038/emboj.2009.298. This article has 151 citations.

  16. (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10): Cintia Roodveldt, Carlos W Bertoncini, August Andersson, Annemieke T van der Goot, Shang-Te Hsu, Rafael Fernández-Montesinos, Jannie de Jong, Tjakko J van Ham, Ellen A Nollen, David Pozo, John Christodoulou, and Christopher M Dobson. Chaperone proteostasis in parkinson's disease: stabilization of the hsp70/α‐synuclein complex by hip. The EMBO Journal, 28:3758-3770, Dec 2009. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2009.298, doi:10.1038/emboj.2009.298. This article has 151 citations.

  17. (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 10-10): Cintia Roodveldt, Carlos W Bertoncini, August Andersson, Annemieke T van der Goot, Shang-Te Hsu, Rafael Fernández-Montesinos, Jannie de Jong, Tjakko J van Ham, Ellen A Nollen, David Pozo, John Christodoulou, and Christopher M Dobson. Chaperone proteostasis in parkinson's disease: stabilization of the hsp70/α‐synuclein complex by hip. The EMBO Journal, 28:3758-3770, Dec 2009. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2009.298, doi:10.1038/emboj.2009.298. This article has 151 citations.

  18. (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10): Szymon Juszkiewicz, Sew-Yeu Peak-Chew, and Ramanujan S. Hegde. Mechanism of chaperone recruitment and retention on mitochondrial precursors. Molecular Biology of the Cell, Jan 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e25-01-0035, doi:10.1091/mbc.e25-01-0035. This article has 21 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.

  19. (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 7-9): Szymon Juszkiewicz, Sew-Yeu Peak-Chew, and Ramanujan S. Hegde. Mechanism of chaperone recruitment and retention on mitochondrial precursors. Molecular Biology of the Cell, Jan 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e25-01-0035, doi:10.1091/mbc.e25-01-0035. This article has 21 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.

  20. (juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 1-2): Szymon Juszkiewicz, Sew-Yeu Peak-Chew, and Ramanujan S. Hegde. Mechanism of chaperone recruitment and retention on mitochondrial precursors. Molecular Biology of the Cell, Jan 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e25-01-0035, doi:10.1091/mbc.e25-01-0035. This article has 21 citations and is from a domain leading peer-reviewed journal.

  21. (roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 1-2): Cintia Roodveldt, Carlos W Bertoncini, August Andersson, Annemieke T van der Goot, Shang-Te Hsu, Rafael Fernández-Montesinos, Jannie de Jong, Tjakko J van Ham, Ellen A Nollen, David Pozo, John Christodoulou, and Christopher M Dobson. Chaperone proteostasis in parkinson's disease: stabilization of the hsp70/α‐synuclein complex by hip. The EMBO Journal, 28:3758-3770, Dec 2009. URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2009.298, doi:10.1038/emboj.2009.298. This article has 151 citations.

Artifacts

Citations

  1. shi2007whatweknow pages 1-2
  2. li2013structureandfunction pages 31-35
  3. li2013structureandfunction pages 82-86
  4. arndt2007tobeor pages 6-8
  5. li2013structureandfunction pages 121-125
  6. wu2019acytosolicchaperone pages 2-3
  7. roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 6-8
  8. juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 9-10
  9. juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 7-9
  10. juszkiewicz2025mechanismofchaperone pages 1-2
  11. roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 8-10
  12. leak2014heatshockproteins pages 4-5
  13. shi2007whatweknow pages 2-4
  14. karunanayake2021cytosolicproteinquality pages 8-10
  15. li2013structureandfunction pages 125-129
  16. velten2002domainstructureof pages 7-7
  17. velten2002domainstructureof pages 5-7
  18. li2013structureandfunction pages 35-39
  19. roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 10-10
  20. roodveldt2009chaperoneproteostasisin pages 1-2
  21. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2007.b0170,
  22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2009.05.035,
  23. https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2608,
  24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12079-014-0243-9,
  25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1535370221999812,
  26. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m106881200,
  27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-007-7188-6,
  28. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.ra118.005844,
  29. https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2009.298,
  30. https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e25-01-0035,

📚 Additional Documentation

Notes

(hip-1-notes.md)

hip-1 (C. elegans) — research notes

UniProt: G5EE04 (G5EE04_CAEEL). WormBase: WBGene00011735 / T12D8.8. Chromosome III.
Gene symbol: hip-1. Product: STI1 domain-containing protein = Hsc70-interacting protein (HIP),
ortholog of mammalian Hip/ST13 (FAM10 family). Evidence at protein level (PE1; PeptideAtlas).

Identity confirmation (task sanity check)

The UniProt record IS the HSP70-interacting co-chaperone, not an unrelated gene:
- UniProt FUNCTION (ARBA): "One HIP oligomer binds the ATPase domains of at least two HSC70
molecules dependent on activation of the HSC70 ATPase by HSP40. Stabilizes the ADP state of
HSC70 that has a high affinity for substrate protein."
- Domain architecture matches Hip/ST13: Hip_N (IPR034649, N-terminal dimerization), STI1/HOP_DP
(IPR041243, C-terminal DP domain), STI1_HS-bd (IPR006636), TPR repeats (IPR019734), TPR-like
helical superfamily (IPR011990); Pfam HipN (PF18253), STI1-HOP_DP (PF17830), TPR_16 (PF13432);
SMART STI1 + 3×TPR.
- PANTHER PTHR45883 "HSC70-INTERACTING PROTEIN" (subfamily SF2). "Belongs to the FAM10 family."
- NOTE: distinct from C. elegans sti-1 (the HOP/Stip1 ortholog); both carry STI1-type domains
but occupy different positions in the Hsp70/Hsp90 network
[file:worm/hip-1/hip-1-deep-research-falcon.md "It is important to distinguish this protein from
the C. elegans sti-1 gene, which encodes the ortholog of HOP"].

KNOWN (well-established, conserved biochemistry from mammalian orthologs)

  • Hsp70/Hsc70 co-chaperone; binds the ATPase (nucleotide-binding) domain. Hip is a TPR
    protein that binds the N-terminal ATPase domain of Hsc70
    PMID:7585962. Binding is exclusive to the ATPase
    domain PMID:9528774,
    which is separate from the Hsp40/Hop sites PMID:9528774.
  • Stabilizes the ADP-bound (high substrate-affinity) state of Hsp70 — an "attenuator" of the
    cycle.
    PMID:7585962. Structurally, the TPR core forms a bracket over the ATPase domain that
    locks ADP in PMID:23812373. Hip and
    nucleotide-exchange factors (NEFs, e.g. BAG-1) compete: PMID:23812373. Thus Hip biases the system toward folding/holding over release/degradation.
  • Domain-specific binding via the TPR domain. PMID:8999928.
  • Homo-oligomerizes (tetramer / dimer of dimers) via an N-terminal domain. PMID:8999928
    PMID:9183013. Self-association gives avidity for multiple Hsp70 molecules.
  • Intrinsic holdase activity but no independent foldase / no ATPase. Binds non-native protein
    but cannot refold it and does not hydrolyze ATP [PMID:9183013 "The role of Hip as a molecular
    chaperone has been confirmed by its ability to strongly bind to the reduced, carboxymethylated
    form of alpha-lactalbumin."; "Hip inhibited the refolding of alkaline phosphatase and malic
    dehydrogenase. Inhibition occurred at near stoichiometric levels of Hip and could not be reversed
    by the addition of ATP."]. In the context of the Hsp70 cycle this "holdase" behavior translates
    into anti-aggregation, not refolding-inhibition.
  • Cooperates with Hsc70 in folding of nascent chains and conformational maturation of signaling
    clients
    PMID:8999928.
  • Cytosolic co-chaperone of the cytosolic Hsp70 machinery (mammalian immunolocalization; falcon)
    [file:worm/hip-1/hip-1-deep-research-falcon.md "Hip/ST13 is predominantly a cytosolic
    protein
    "].

KNOWN (C. elegans-specific, in vivo)

  • HIP-1 (T12D8.8) suppresses α-synuclein aggregation in an Hsp70-dependent manner in vivo.
    Roodveldt et al. 2009 used a transgenic worm αSyn-aggregation model and RNAi.
    PMID:19875982
    PMID:19875982.
    Genetic epistasis: knocking down Hip alone gave MORE inclusions than knocking down Hip+Hsp70
    together — i.e. Hip acts through Hsp70
    PMID:19875982.
    Falcon summary of the same figures (paraphrase, cite primary for verbatim): hip-1 RNAi increased
    αSyn inclusions ~2.3-fold; double hsp-70+hip-1 RNAi reduced inclusions ~60% vs hip-1 alone
    [file:worm/hip-1/hip-1-deep-research-falcon.md].
  • Muscle localization (moderate/high-throughput GFP overexpression screen). T12D8.8::GFP driven
    by a muscle-specific promoter localized to category 6 = dense bodies, thick filaments/M-lines, and
    ER/SR PMID:21611156. This is the source of the GO HDA CC annotations (GO:0005783 ER, GO:0030017
    sarcomere, GO:0055120 striated muscle dense body). The authors explicitly caution that C-terminal
    GFP tagging + overexpression can perturb localization
    PMID:21611156 — so these muscle localizations are treated as non-core relative to the cytosol.
    (Biologically, chaperone machinery does associate with the Z-disk/dense body for sarcomeric
    protein quality control, so a genuine muscle-QC role is plausible but unconfirmed for HIP-1.)

NOT known / dark (worm-specific)

  • Endogenous physiological clients/substrates of C. elegans HIP-1 are unidentified. All in vivo
    worm evidence uses a heterologous, overexpressed aggregation-prone reporter (human α-synuclein);
    the native folding clients that require HIP-1 in the worm are undefined.
  • Loss-of-function phenotype under normal (non-transgenic) conditions is undescribed — no
    reported hip-1 mutant phenotype for development, lifespan, stress resistance, or muscle
    maintenance. (Contrast the HOP ortholog sti-1, whose loss shortens lifespan
    [file:worm/hip-1/hip-1-deep-research-falcon.md].)
  • Native subcellular localization of endogenous HIP-1 in the worm is not directly measured
    (only overexpression GFP in muscle). Cytosol is inferred from orthologs.
  • Whether the recently proposed mammalian St13 role in mitochondrial precursor import (Juszkiewicz
    et al. 2025, MBoC) is conserved in the worm is untested
    [file:worm/hip-1/hip-1-deep-research-falcon.md].

GOA annotation set (9 rows) — review plan

  1. GO:0006457 protein folding — IBA (GO_REF:0000033) — ACCEPT (core BP).
  2. GO:0030544 Hsp70 protein binding — IBA (GO_REF:0000033) — ACCEPT (core, defining MF).
  3. GO:0005634 nucleus — IEA (ARBA GO_REF:0000117) — REMOVE (unsupported ML CC; Hip is cytosolic).
  4. GO:0046983 protein dimerization activity — IEA (InterPro GO_REF:0000002) — MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
    (self-association is a structural property, not the informative MF; real but not core).
  5. GO:0070013 intracellular organelle lumen — IEA (ARBA GO_REF:0000117) — REMOVE (unsupported ML CC).
  6. GO:1902494 catalytic complex — IEA (ARBA GO_REF:0000117) — MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED (generic;
    Hip itself is non-catalytic; binds catalytic Hsp70 but "catalytic complex" is uninformative).
  7. GO:0005783 endoplasmic reticulum — HDA (PMID:21611156) — KEEP_AS_NON_CORE (muscle overexpression).
  8. GO:0030017 sarcomere — HDA (PMID:21611156) — KEEP_AS_NON_CORE (muscle overexpression).
  9. GO:0055120 striated muscle dense body — HDA (PMID:21611156) — KEEP_AS_NON_CORE (muscle overexpr.).

Core MF = GO:0030544 Hsp70 protein binding; core BP = GO:0006457 protein folding + GO:1903334
positive regulation of protein folding; core CC = GO:0005829 cytosol.

Final review decisions (completed)

All 9 GOA annotations resolved; 3 NEW proposed annotations added. Every supporting_text
was grep/normalization-verified as a verbatim substring of the cached publication.

  • GO:0006457 protein folding (IBA) — ACCEPT (core BP).
  • GO:0030544 Hsp70 protein binding (IBA) — ACCEPT (core, defining MF).
  • GO:0005634 nucleus (IEA/ARBA) — REMOVE (unsupported ML CC; Hip is cytosolic).
  • GO:0046983 protein dimerization activity (IEA/InterPro) — KEEP_AS_NON_CORE (revised
    from the earlier MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED plan: homo-oligomerization is experimentally
    real [PMID:8999928, PMID:9183013] and functionally relevant for avidity, so it is a
    correct non-core MF rather than an over-annotation).
  • GO:0070013 intracellular organelle lumen (IEA/ARBA) — REMOVE (unsupported ML CC).
  • GO:1902494 catalytic complex (IEA/ARBA) — MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED (HIP-1 is itself
    non-catalytic PMID:9183013).
  • GO:0005783 ER / GO:0030017 sarcomere / GO:0055120 dense body (HDA, PMID:21611156) —
    KEEP_AS_NON_CORE (muscle GFP overexpression; authors caution tagging may be disruptive).
  • NEW GO:0005829 cytosol (ISS) — core site of action, inferred from orthologs.
  • NEW GO:0051082 unfolded protein binding (ISS) — intrinsic holdase activity.
  • NEW GO:1903334 positive regulation of protein folding (ISS) — attenuator mechanism
    biases folding PMID:23812373.

Knowledge gaps recorded (top-level): (1) endogenous worm clients + LoF phenotype are
undefined (only a heterologous overexpressed αSyn reporter was assayed in vivo)
[RESIDUAL_SUBGAP]; (2) native subcellular localization of endogenous HIP-1 unmeasured;
worm data are muscle GFP-overexpression only [CC_DARK].

Note: the "no annotation references the deep research file" validation WARNING is left
unresolved because the pre-edit hook resolves file: references against a temp-dir copy
and cannot see the (real, present) falcon file; this is a non-blocking warning only.

References with PMIDs (all cached in publications/)

  • PMID:7585962 Höhfeld et al. 1995 Cell — original Hip; ADP-state stabilization (abstract-only).
  • PMID:8999928 Irmer & Höhfeld 1997 JBC — TPR = Hsc70-binding site; N-term oligomerization.
  • PMID:9528774 Demand et al. 1998 MCB — Hip binds ATPase domain exclusively; separate cofactor sites.
  • PMID:9183013 Bruce & Churchich 1997 EJB — tetramer; holdase; no ATPase; no independent foldase.
  • PMID:23812373 Li, Hartl & Bracher 2013 NSMB — crystal structures; bracket locks ADP; NEF-exclusive.
  • PMID:19875982 Roodveldt et al. 2009 EMBO J — C. elegans αSyn model; Hip required Hsp70-dependently.
  • PMID:21611156 Meissner et al. 2011 PLoS One — body-wall-muscle GFP localizome (T12D8.8 category 6).

📄 View Raw YAML

id: G5EE04
gene_symbol: hip-1
product_type: PROTEIN
status: DRAFT
taxon:
  id: NCBITaxon:6239
  label: Caenorhabditis elegans
description: >-
  hip-1 encodes the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of Hsp70-interacting protein
  (Hip/ST13), a member of the FAM10 family and a co-chaperone of the cytosolic
  Hsp70 (Hsc70) chaperone system. The protein has a modular architecture: an
  N-terminal dimerization domain (Hip_N) that drives homo-oligomerization into a
  tetramer, a central tetratricopeptide-repeat (TPR) region that binds the ATPase
  (nucleotide-binding) domain of Hsp70, and a C-terminal STI1/DP domain. Hip binds
  the ADP-bound state of Hsp70 and stabilizes it, slowing ADP release and prolonging
  the high-affinity association of Hsp70 with substrate; because Hip and
  nucleotide-exchange factors bind Hsp70 in a mutually exclusive manner, Hip acts as
  an attenuator of the Hsp70 reaction cycle that biases the system toward substrate
  holding and folding rather than release and degradation. Hip also has intrinsic
  holdase activity, binding non-native polypeptides to prevent their aggregation, but
  it lacks ATPase activity and cannot refold substrates on its own. In C. elegans,
  HIP-1 acts through Hsp70 to suppress proteotoxic aggregation in vivo, and it is
  predominantly cytosolic, consistent with a role in the cytosolic protein
  quality-control network. It is distinct from the C. elegans HOP/Stip1 ortholog
  sti-1, which occupies a different node of the Hsp70/Hsp90 system.
references:
- id: GO_REF:0000002
  title: Gene Ontology annotation through association of InterPro records with GO
    terms
  findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000033
  title: Annotation inferences using phylogenetic trees
  findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000117
  title: Electronic Gene Ontology annotations created by ARBA machine learning models
  findings: []
- id: PMID:7585962
  title: Hip, a novel cochaperone involved in the eukaryotic Hsc70/Hsp40 reaction cycle.
  findings: []
  reference_review:
    relevance: HIGH
    correctness: VERIFIED
    review_notes: >-
      Original characterization of Hip. PubMed-verified. Establishes that one Hip
      oligomer binds the ATPase domains of Hsc70 and stabilizes the ADP (high
      substrate-affinity) state. Mechanism is on the mammalian ortholog; conserved
      in the FAM10 family to which C. elegans HIP-1 belongs. Abstract-only in cache.
- id: PMID:8999928
  title: Characterization of functional domains of the eukaryotic co-chaperone Hip.
  findings: []
  reference_review:
    relevance: HIGH
    correctness: VERIFIED
    review_notes: >-
      PubMed-verified. Maps the Hsc70-binding site to the TPR domain and the
      homo-oligomerization determinant to the extreme N terminus; supports the
      folding/co-chaperone role. Mammalian ortholog; abstract-only in cache.
- id: PMID:9528774
  title: The carboxy-terminal domain of Hsc70 provides binding sites for a distinct
    set of chaperone cofactors.
  findings: []
  reference_review:
    relevance: HIGH
    correctness: VERIFIED
    review_notes: >-
      PubMed-verified. Shows Hip binds exclusively the amino-terminal ATPase domain
      of Hsc70 and that Hsc70 has separate nonoverlapping sites for Hsp40, Hip and
      Hop, and that Hip and BAG-1 compete. Directly supports the Hsp70-binding MF.
- id: PMID:9183013
  title: Characterization of the molecular-chaperone function of the heat-shock-cognate-70-interacting
    protein.
  findings: []
  reference_review:
    relevance: HIGH
    correctness: VERIFIED
    review_notes: >-
      PubMed-verified. Recombinant Hip forms a tetramer, has intrinsic holdase
      activity (binds reduced carboxymethylated alpha-lactalbumin), does not
      hydrolyze ATP, and cannot refold substrates on its own. Anchors the holdase MF
      and the non-catalytic character.
- id: PMID:23812373
  title: Structure and function of Hip, an attenuator of the Hsp70 chaperone cycle.
  findings: []
  reference_review:
    relevance: HIGH
    correctness: VERIFIED
    review_notes: >-
      PubMed-verified. Crystal structures show the TPR core forms a bracket over the
      Hsp70 ATPase domain that locks ADP in the cleft, and that Hip and NEF binding
      are mutually exclusive, so Hip attenuates the cycle. Defines the mechanism of
      the Hsp70-binding MF.
- id: PMID:19875982
  title: "Chaperone proteostasis in Parkinson's disease: stabilization of the Hsp70/alpha-synuclein
    complex by Hip."
  findings: []
  reference_review:
    relevance: HIGH
    correctness: VERIFIED
    review_notes: >-
      PubMed-verified; full text available. The only study with direct in vivo
      C. elegans evidence: hip-1 (T12D8.8) RNAi increases alpha-synuclein inclusions
      and epistasis shows HIP-1 acts through Hsp70. Uses a heterologous overexpressed
      alpha-synuclein reporter, so it does not identify endogenous worm clients.
- id: PMID:21611156
  title: Determining the sub-cellular localization of proteins within Caenorhabditis
    elegans body wall muscle.
  findings: []
  reference_review:
    relevance: MEDIUM
    correctness: VERIFIED
    review_notes: >-
      PubMed-verified. High-throughput body-wall-muscle GFP-localizome; T12D8.8::GFP
      is in category 6 (dense bodies, M-line/thick filaments, ER/SR). Source of the
      three HDA muscle CC annotations. Authors explicitly caution that C-terminal GFP
      tagging and overexpression may perturb localization, so these are non-core.
existing_annotations:
- term:
    id: GO:0006457
    label: protein folding
  evidence_type: IBA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
  qualifier: involved_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      Phylogenetically inferred biological process. HIP-1 is an Hsp70 co-chaperone
      that cooperates with Hsc70 in the folding of newly synthesized and non-native
      polypeptides; protein folding is the core process it participates in.
    action: ACCEPT
    reason: >-
      Consistent with the conserved FAM10/Hip co-chaperone role and with experimental
      evidence from orthologs that Hip cooperates with Hsc70 in polypeptide folding
      and plays a critical role in protein folding in the eukaryotic cytoplasm.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:8999928
      supporting_text: >-
        The homo-oligomeric Hip protein cooperates with the 70-kDa heat shock cognate
        Hsc70 in the folding of newly synthesized polypeptide chains
    - reference_id: PMID:9183013
      supporting_text: play a critical role in protein folding in the eukaryotic cytoplasm
- term:
    id: GO:0030544
    label: Hsp70 protein binding
  evidence_type: IBA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
  qualifier: enables
  review:
    summary: >-
      Core, defining molecular function of a Hip-family co-chaperone: HIP-1 binds the
      N-terminal ATPase (nucleotide-binding) domain of Hsp70/Hsc70, specifically in
      the ADP state, and stabilizes the high substrate-affinity conformation.
    action: ACCEPT
    reason: >-
      This is the informative, partner-specific molecular function of the protein and
      is supported by biochemical mapping in orthologs showing Hip binds the Hsc70
      ATPase domain exclusively and by structural work showing it brackets the ATPase
      domain to lock in ADP.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:9528774
      supporting_text: Hip interacts exclusively with the amino-terminal ATPase domain of Hsc70
    - reference_id: PMID:7585962
      supporting_text: >-
        One Hip oligomer binds the ATPase domains of at least two Hsc70 molecules
- term:
    id: GO:0005634
    label: nucleus
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000117
  qualifier: located_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      Electronic (ARBA machine-learning) cellular-component annotation with no
      experimental support. Hip/ST13 is an established cytosolic co-chaperone of the
      cytosolic Hsp70 machinery, and there is no evidence for nuclear localization of
      C. elegans HIP-1.
    action: REMOVE
    reason: >-
      Over-propagated electronic inference that conflicts with the well-established
      cytosolic biology of Hip-family co-chaperones; not supported by any experimental
      or phylogenetic evidence for this gene.
- term:
    id: GO:0046983
    label: protein dimerization activity
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000002
  qualifier: enables
  review:
    summary: >-
      InterPro-derived (IPR034649, Hip_N) molecular function. HIP-1 genuinely
      homo-oligomerizes (dimer of dimers / tetramer) through its N-terminal Hip_N
      domain, which provides avidity for binding multiple Hsp70 molecules.
    action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
    reason: >-
      Self-association is real and functionally relevant but is a structural property
      rather than the informative core molecular function; retained as non-core. The
      N-terminal oligomerization determinant and the tetrameric state are documented
      experimentally in orthologs.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:8999928
      supporting_text: >-
        a domain required for homo-oligomerization was identified at the extreme amino
        terminus of Hip
    - reference_id: PMID:9183013
      supporting_text: >-
        the chaperone forms a tetramer similar to what has been reported for the native
        protein from rat liver cytosol
- term:
    id: GO:0070013
    label: intracellular organelle lumen
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000117
  qualifier: located_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      Electronic (ARBA machine-learning) cellular-component annotation with no
      experimental support and inconsistent with the cytosolic localization of
      Hip-family co-chaperones.
    action: REMOVE
    reason: >-
      Over-propagated electronic inference; an organelle-lumen location is not
      supported by any experimental or phylogenetic evidence for HIP-1 and conflicts
      with its cytosolic function.
- term:
    id: GO:1902494
    label: catalytic complex
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000117
  qualifier: part_of
  review:
    summary: >-
      Electronic (ARBA machine-learning) annotation placing HIP-1 in a catalytic
      complex. HIP-1 itself is non-catalytic (no ATPase activity); it transiently
      associates with the catalytic Hsp70 ATPase, but "catalytic complex" is generic
      and mischaracterizes HIP-1's own role.
    action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
    reason: >-
      Uninformative and potentially misleading: HIP-1 does not catalyze a reaction and
      is not a stable structural subunit of a defined catalytic complex; its
      interaction with Hsp70 is transient and regulatory.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:9183013
      supporting_text: >-
        The recombinant form of Hip did not catalyze the hydrolysis of ATP and ATP
        analogs
- term:
    id: GO:0005783
    label: endoplasmic reticulum
  evidence_type: HDA
  original_reference_id: PMID:21611156
  qualifier: located_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      High-throughput direct-assay localization from a body-wall-muscle GFP-localizome:
      T12D8.8::GFP fell in category 6, which includes the ER/SR alongside dense bodies
      and the M-line/thick filaments.
    action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
    reason: >-
      Experimental (HDA) but from muscle-specific overexpression of a C-terminally
      GFP-tagged protein, which the authors explicitly caution may perturb
      localization; retained as a non-core, muscle-context localization rather than the
      core cytosolic site of action.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:21611156
      supporting_text: >-
        They appear to be in the dense bodies, M-line and/or thick filaments, as well
        as the ER or SR
    - reference_id: PMID:21611156
      supporting_text: the presence or perhaps over expression of the GFP-tagged protein may be disruptive
- term:
    id: GO:0030017
    label: sarcomere
  evidence_type: HDA
  original_reference_id: PMID:21611156
  qualifier: located_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      High-throughput GFP-localizome placing T12D8.8::GFP at sarcomeric structures
      (M-line/thick filaments) in body-wall muscle (category 6).
    action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
    reason: >-
      Experimental (HDA) but from muscle overexpression of a GFP fusion with
      acknowledged tagging/overexpression caveats; a genuine sarcomeric
      quality-control role is biologically plausible for a chaperone but unconfirmed
      for HIP-1, so kept as non-core.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:21611156
      supporting_text: >-
        They appear to be in the dense bodies, M-line and/or thick filaments, as well
        as the ER or SR
- term:
    id: GO:0055120
    label: striated muscle dense body
  evidence_type: HDA
  original_reference_id: PMID:21611156
  qualifier: located_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      High-throughput GFP-localizome placing T12D8.8::GFP at the dense body (Z-disk
      analog) in body-wall muscle (category 6).
    action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
    reason: >-
      Experimental (HDA) but from muscle overexpression of a GFP fusion with
      acknowledged tagging/overexpression caveats; retained as a non-core,
      muscle-context localization rather than the core cytosolic site of action.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:21611156
      supporting_text: >-
        They appear to be in the dense bodies, M-line and/or thick filaments, as well
        as the ER or SR
- term:
    id: GO:0005829
    label: cytosol
  evidence_type: ISS
  original_reference_id: PMID:9183013
  qualifier: located_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      Proposed core localization. Hip/ST13 orthologs are predominantly cytosolic
      co-chaperones of the cytosolic Hsp70 machinery, and worm HIP-1 acts through
      Hsp70 in the cytosol; the cytosol is inferred as the primary site of action
      (the muscle GFP-overexpression pattern notwithstanding).
    action: NEW
    reason: >-
      Not present in GOA but strongly supported by ortholog localization (native Hip
      purifies from cytosol) and by the cytosolic Hsp70-dependent proteostasis role
      demonstrated in the worm.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:9183013
      supporting_text: the native protein from rat liver cytosol
- term:
    id: GO:0051082
    label: unfolded protein binding
  evidence_type: ISS
  original_reference_id: PMID:9183013
  qualifier: enables
  review:
    summary: >-
      Proposed molecular function. HIP-1 has intrinsic holdase activity, binding
      non-native/unfolded polypeptides to prevent aggregation, independent of the
      Hsp70 ATP cycle, as shown for the ortholog.
    action: NEW
    reason: >-
      Not present in GOA but experimentally demonstrated for the ortholog (specific
      binding to reduced, carboxymethylated alpha-lactalbumin but not the native
      form); an informative MF complementing the Hsp70-binding activity.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:9183013
      supporting_text: >-
        The role of Hip as a molecular chaperone has been confirmed by its ability to
        strongly bind to the reduced, carboxymethylated form of alpha-lactalbumin
- term:
    id: GO:1903334
    label: positive regulation of protein folding
  evidence_type: ISS
  original_reference_id: PMID:23812373
  qualifier: involved_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      Proposed biological process. By stabilizing the ADP-bound state and attenuating
      the Hsp70 cycle, HIP-1 biases the chaperone system toward productive substrate
      holding and folding and enhances aggregation prevention by Hsp70.
    action: NEW
    reason: >-
      Not present in GOA but follows directly from the attenuator mechanism and the
      in vivo anti-aggregation phenotype; captures the regulatory direction of HIP-1's
      effect on folding.
    supported_by:
    - reference_id: PMID:23812373
      supporting_text: This mechanism explains how Hip enhances aggregation prevention by Hsp70
core_functions:
- description: >-
    HIP-1 is a co-chaperone of the cytosolic Hsp70 (Hsc70) system. It binds the
    ATPase/nucleotide-binding domain of Hsp70 and stabilizes the ADP-bound, high
    substrate-affinity state, forming a bracket that locks ADP in the cleft and,
    because it is mutually exclusive with nucleotide-exchange factors, attenuates the
    Hsp70 reaction cycle so that substrates are held and folded rather than
    prematurely released. In C. elegans this activity suppresses proteotoxic
    aggregation in an Hsp70-dependent manner.
  supported_by:
  - reference_id: PMID:23812373
    supporting_text: to form a bracket that locks ADP in the binding cleft
  - reference_id: PMID:19875982
    supporting_text: >-
      the hypothesis that it might do so also in vivo is supported by studies of a
      Caenorhabditis elegans model of alphaSyn aggregation
  molecular_function:
    id: GO:0030544
    label: Hsp70 protein binding
  directly_involved_in:
  - id: GO:0006457
    label: protein folding
  - id: GO:1903334
    label: positive regulation of protein folding
  locations:
  - id: GO:0005829
    label: cytosol
- description: >-
    Independent of the Hsp70 cycle, HIP-1 has intrinsic holdase (chaperone) activity:
    it binds non-native/unfolded polypeptides to prevent their aggregation. It has no
    ATPase activity and cannot refold substrates on its own, and it homo-oligomerizes
    via its N-terminal Hip_N domain into a tetramer, giving avidity for multiple Hsp70
    molecules.
  supported_by:
  - reference_id: PMID:9183013
    supporting_text: >-
      The role of Hip as a molecular chaperone has been confirmed by its ability to
      strongly bind to the reduced, carboxymethylated form of alpha-lactalbumin
  molecular_function:
    id: GO:0051082
    label: unfolded protein binding
  locations:
  - id: GO:0005829
    label: cytosol
knowledge_gaps:
- gap_statement: >-
    The endogenous physiological clients/substrates of C. elegans HIP-1, and the
    loss-of-function phenotype of hip-1 under normal (non-transgenic) conditions, are
    undefined. The only direct in vivo worm evidence uses an overexpressed
    heterologous aggregation reporter (human alpha-synuclein), so it does not reveal
    which native worm proteins depend on HIP-1 or what its loss does to development,
    lifespan, or stress resistance.
  boundary: >-
    The conserved molecular mechanism is solid (HIP-1 binds the Hsp70 ADP state,
    attenuates the chaperone cycle, and has holdase activity) and genetic epistasis in
    the worm shows HIP-1 acts through Hsp70. What is unknown is the native client set
    and the organismal phenotype of HIP-1 loss.
  gap_kind:
  - BIOLOGY
  dark_aspect: RESIDUAL_SUBGAP
  status: OPEN
  significance: >-
    Without native clients or a described phenotype, HIP-1's dedicated biological role
    in the worm cannot be separated from redundant, buffered co-chaperone functions
    (the sti-1/HOP and Hsp90 arms), leaving its importance for proteostasis in the
    intact animal unquantified.
  resolution: >-
    Phenotype a hip-1 deletion/RNAi allele across development, lifespan, and
    proteotoxic-stress paradigms, and identify endogenous clients by
    immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry of tagged endogenous HIP-1.
  provenance:
  - reference_id: PMID:19875982
    supporting_text: >-
      the hypothesis that it might do so also in vivo is supported by studies of a
      Caenorhabditis elegans model of alphaSyn aggregation
- gap_statement: >-
    Where endogenous HIP-1 acts in the C. elegans cell is not directly measured.
    Cytosolic localization is inferred from mammalian orthologs, and the only worm
    localization data come from muscle-specific GFP overexpression that placed the
    protein at dense bodies, the M-line/thick filaments, and the ER/SR; whether HIP-1
    has a genuine sarcomeric/muscle quality-control role is unconfirmed.
  boundary: >-
    Mammalian Hip/ST13 is firmly cytosolic. The worm GFP-overexpression screen
    reported a muscle sarcomeric/ER pattern for T12D8.8, but with explicit
    tagging/overexpression caveats and no endogenous-localization confirmation.
  gap_kind:
  - BIOLOGY
  dark_aspect: CC_DARK
  status: OPEN
  significance: >-
    Distinguishing a general cytosolic role from a dedicated sarcomeric/muscle
    quality-control function would clarify whether HIP-1 contributes to muscle protein
    maintenance, a tissue where chaperone machinery is known to service the
    contractile apparatus.
  resolution: >-
    CRISPR endogenous tagging of hip-1 followed by in vivo imaging across tissues, and
    tissue-specific rescue/depletion to test a muscle-autonomous requirement.
  provenance:
  - reference_id: PMID:21611156
    supporting_text: the presence or perhaps over expression of the GFP-tagged protein may be disruptive
proposed_new_terms: []
suggested_questions:
- question: >-
    Which endogenous C. elegans proteins are obligate HIP-1 clients, and does HIP-1
    loss produce a phenotype (development, lifespan, proteotoxic-stress resistance,
    muscle maintenance) under normal conditions?
  experts: []
- question: >-
    Does endogenous HIP-1 localize to the cytosol in most tissues, and is the muscle
    sarcomeric/ER pattern seen on overexpression a genuine site of function?
  experts: []
suggested_experiments:
- hypothesis: >-
    HIP-1 buffers proteotoxic stress by stabilizing Hsp70-substrate complexes on
    endogenous clients.
  description: >-
    Generate a hip-1 loss-of-function allele (deletion or auxin-inducible degron) and
    phenotype development, brood size, lifespan, thermotolerance, and heat/proteotoxic
    stress resistance, with and without sti-1/HOP and hsp-90 co-depletion to test
    redundancy in the chaperone network.
  experiment_type: genetics / phenotyping
- hypothesis: >-
    HIP-1 has a defined set of endogenous folding clients in the worm.
  description: >-
    Immunoprecipitate CRISPR-tagged endogenous HIP-1 (and its Hsp70 partner HSP-1)
    from staged worms and identify co-purifying substrates by mass spectrometry,
    comparing basal and heat-stressed conditions.
  experiment_type: interaction proteomics