Maturation from early to late endosomes depends on the exchange of their marker proteins Rab5 to Rab7. This requires Rab7 activation by its specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Mon1-Ccz1. Efficient GEF activity of this complex on membranes depends on Rab5, thus driving Rab-GTPase exchange on endosomes. However, molecular details on the role of Rab5 in Mon1-Ccz1 activation are unclear. Here, we identify key features in Mon1 involved in GEF regulation. We show that the intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of Mon1 autoinhibits Rab5-dependent GEF activity on membranes. Consequently, Mon1 truncations result in higher GEF activity in vitro and alterations in early endosomal structures in Drosophila nephrocytes. A shift from Rab5 to more Rab7-positive structures in yeast suggests faster endosomal maturation. Using modeling, we further identify a conserved Rab5-binding site in Mon1. Mutations impairing Rab5 interaction result in poor GEF activity on membranes and growth defects in vivo. Our analysis provides a framework to understand the mechanism of Ras-related in brain (Rab) conversion and organelle maturation along the endomembrane system.
Keywords: Mon1; Rab–cascade; endosomal maturation; endosome; lysosome.