ZZ domain of dystrophin and utrophin: topology and mapping of a beta-dystroglycan interaction site

Dystrophin forms part of a vital link between actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix via the transmembrane adhesion receptor dystroglycan. Dystrophin and its autosomal homologue utrophin interact with beta-dystroglycan via their highly conserved C-terminal cysteine-rich regions, comprising the WW domain (protein-protein interaction domain containing two conserved tryptophan residues), EF hand and ZZ domains. The EF hand region stabilizes the WW domain providing the main interaction site between dystrophin or utrophin and dystroglycan. The ZZ domain, containing a predicted zinc finger motif, stabilizes the WW and EF hand domains and strengthens the overall interaction between dystrophin or utrophin and beta-dystroglycan. Using bacterially expressed ZZ domain, we demonstrate a conformational effect of zinc binding to the ZZ domain, and identify two zinc-binding regions within the ZZ domain by SPOTs overlay assays. Epitope mapping of the dystrophin ZZ domain was carried out with new monoclonal antibodies by ELISA, overlay assay and immunohistochemistry. One monoclonal antibody defined a discrete region of the ZZ domain that interacts with beta-dystroglycan. The epitope was localized to the conformationally sensitive second zinc-binding site in the ZZ domain. Our results suggest that residues 3326-3332 of dystrophin form a crucial part of the contact region between dystrophin and beta-dystroglycan and provide new insight into ZZ domain organization and function.     

The WW domain of dystrophin requires EF-hands region to interact with beta-dystroglycan.

Skeletal muscle dystrophin is a 427 kDa protein thought to act as a link between the actin cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Perturbations of the dystrophin-associated complex, for example, between dystrophin and the transmembrane glycoprotein beta-dystroglycan, may lead to muscular dystrophy. Previously, the cysteine-rich region and first half of the carboxy-terminal domain of dystrophin were shown to interact with beta-dystroglycan through a stretch of fifteen amino acids at the carboxy-terminus of beta-dystroglycan. This region of dystrophin implicated in binding beta-dystroglycan contains four modular protein domains: a WW domain, two putative Ca2+-binding EF-hand motifs, and a putative zinc finger ZZ domain. The WW domain is a globular domain of 38-40 amino acids with two highly conserved tryptophan residues spaced 20-22 amino acids apart. A subset of WW domains was shown to bind ligands that contain a Pro-Pro-x-Tyr core motif (where x is any amino acid). Here we elucidate the role of the WW domain of dystrophin and surrounding sequence in binding beta-dystroglycan. We show that the WW domain of dystrophin along with the EF-hand motifs binds to the carboxy-terminus of beta-dystroglycan. Through site-specific mutagenesis and in vitro binding assays, we demonstrate that binding of dystrophin to the carboxy-terminus of beta-dystroglycan occurs via a beta-dystroglycan Pro-Pro-x-Tyr core motif. Targeted mutagenesis of conserved WW domain residues reveals that the dystrophin/beta-dystroglycan interaction occurs primarily through the WW domain of dystrophin. Precise mapping of this interaction could aid in therapeutic design.     

Structural insights into the role of the WW2 domain on tandem WW–PPxY motif interactions of oxidoreductase WWOX

Class I WW domains are present in many proteins of various functions and mediate protein interactions by binding to short linear PPxY motifs. Tandem WW domains often bind peptides with multiple PPxY motifs, but the interplay of WW–peptide interactions is not always intuitive. The WW domain–containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) harbors two WW domains: an unstable WW1 capable of PPxY binding and stable WW2 that cannot bind PPxY. The WW2 domain has been suggested to act as a WW1 domain chaperone, but the underlying mechanism of its chaperone activity remains to be revealed. Here, we combined NMR, isothermal calorimetry, and structural modeling to elucidate the roles of both WW domains in WWOX binding to its PPxY-containing substrate ErbB4. Using NMR, we identified an interaction surface between these two domains that supports a WWOX conformation compatible with peptide substrate binding. Isothermal calorimetry and NMR measurements also indicated that while binding affinity to a single PPxY motif is marginally increased in the presence of WW2, affinity to a dual-motif peptide increases 10-fold. Furthermore, we found WW2 can directly bind double-motif peptides using its canonical binding site. Finally, differential binding of peptides in mutagenesis experiments was consistent with a parallel N- to C-terminal PPxY tandem motif orientation in binding to the WW1–WW2 tandem domain, validating structural models of the interaction. Taken together, our results reveal the complex nature of tandem WW-domain organization and substrate binding, highlighting the contribution of WWOX WW2 to both protein stability and target binding.     

Epitopes in the interacting regions of beta-dystroglycan (PPxY motif) and dystrophin (WW domain).

The dystroglycan gene produces two products from a single mRNA, the extracellular alpha-dystroglycan and the transmembrane beta-dystroglycan. The Duchenne muscular dystrophy protein, dystrophin, associates with the muscle membrane via beta-dystroglycan, the WW domain of dystrophin interacting with a PPxY motif in beta-dystroglycan. A panel of four monoclonal antibodies (MANDAG1-4) was produced using the last 16 amino acids of beta-dystroglycan as immunogen. The mAbs recognized a 43 kDa band on Western blots of all cells and tissues tested and stained the sarcolemma in immunohistochemistry of skeletal muscle over a wide range of animal species. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the WW domain of dystrophin, MANHINGE4A, produced using a 16-mer synthetic peptide, recognized dystrophin on Western blots and also stained the sarcolemma. We have identified the precise sequences recognized by the mAbs using a phage-displayed random 15-mer peptide library. A 7-amino-acid consensus sequence SPPPYVP involved in binding all four beta-dystroglycan mAbs was identified by sequencing 17 different peptides selected from the library. PPY were the most important residues for three mAbs, but PxxVP were essential residues for a fourth mAb, MANDAG2. By sequencing five different random peptides from the library, the epitope on dystrophin recognized by mAb MANHINGE4A was identified as PWxRA in the first beta-strand of the WW domain, with the W and R residues invariably present. A recent three-dimensional structure confirms that the two epitopes are adjacent in the dystrophin-dystroglycan complex, highlighting the question of how the two interacting motifs can also be accessible to antibodies during immunolocalization in situ.     

Structure of a WW domain containing fragment of dystrophin in complex with beta-dystroglycan

Dystrophin and beta-dystroglycan are components of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC), a multimolecular assembly that spans the cell membrane and links the actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular basal lamina. Defects in the dystrophin gene are the cause of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. The C-terminal region of dystrophin binds the cytoplasmic tail of beta-dystroglycan, in part through the interaction of its WW domain with a proline-rich motif in the tail of beta-dystroglycan. Here we report the crystal structure of this portion of dystrophin in complex with the proline-rich binding site in beta-dystroglycan. The structure shows that the dystrophin WW domain is embedded in an adjacent helical region that contains two EF-hand-like domains. The beta-dystroglycan peptide binds a composite surface formed by the WW domain and one of these EF-hands. Additionally, the structure reveals striking similarities in the mechanisms of proline recognition employed by WW domains and SH3 domains.     

Tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-dystroglycan at its WW domain binding motif, PPxY, recruits SH2 domain containing proteins.

beta-Dystroglycan is a ubiquitously expressed integral membrane protein that undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation in an adhesion-dependent manner. However, it remains unknown whether tyrosine-phosphorylated beta-dystroglycan interacts with SH2 domain containing proteins. Here, we show that the tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-dystroglycan is constitutively elevated in v-Src transformed cells. We next reconstituted this phosphorylation event in vivo by transiently coexpressing wild-type c-Src with a fusion protein containing full-length beta-dystroglycan. Our results demonstrate that Src-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-dystroglycan is strictly dependent on the presence of a PPxY motif at its extreme C-terminus. In the nonphosphorylated state, this PPxY motif is normally recognized as a ligand by the WW domain; phosphorylation at this site blocks the binding of certain WW domain containing proteins. Using a GST fusion protein carrying the cytoplasmic tail of beta-dystroglycan, we identified five SH2 domain containing proteins that interact with beta-dystroglycan in a phosphorylation-dependent manner, including c-Src, Fyn, Csk, NCK, and SHC. We localized this binding activity to the PPxY motif by employing a panel of beta-dystroglycan-derived phosphopeptides. In addition, tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-dystroglycan in vivo resulted in the coimmunoprecipitation of the same SH2 domain containing proteins, and this binding event required the beta-dystroglycan C-terminal PPxY motif. We discuss the possibility that tyrosine phosphorylation of the PPxY motif within beta-dystroglycan may act as a regulatory switch to inhibit the binding of certain WW domain containing proteins, while recruiting SH2 domain containing proteins.     

The histological architecture of the auditory organs in the parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea

The dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAP) plays an important role in sarcolemmal function. Mutations of DAP elements lead to diverse forms of muscular dystrophies, among them Duchenne muscular dystrophy, one of the most severe neuromuscular diseases. Strategies in gene therapy are being assessed to restore DAP stability. However, the relationship between DAP elements and time-course of the DAP formation are still not known in detail. In order to better understand the relationship among DAP proteins, we therefore studied their expression during development in human muscle culture in comparison with developmentally regulated muscle proteins. Desmin immunoreactivity (IR) was detected by 3 days in vitro (DIV3), IR for developmental heavy-chain myosin, vimentin, utrophin, and beta-dystroglycan, as well as alpha-, beta-, and gamma-sarcoglycan, a day later. delta-Sarcoglycan was found by DIV7; dystrophin could be detected only by DIV11. In general, DAP proteins were first located in the perinuclear region, later diffusely in the cytoplasm, and finally exclusively at the membrane. This sequence of events during muscle development gives further support to our suggestion that utrophin could be a precursor of dystrophin during development and regeneration. These data also suggest that utrophin alone is sufficient to anchor the complex, which is important when utrophin replacement strategies are being investigated for the treatment of dystrophinopathies. In this study we demonstrated the establishment of a culture technique that should allow the close study of DAP expression in diseased muscle, including its use after gene modulatory strategies.     

Forced expression of dystrophin deletion constructs reveals structure- function correlations

Dystrophin plays an important role in skeletal muscle by linking the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. The amino terminus of dystrophin binds to actin and possibly other components of the subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton, while the carboxy terminus associates with a group of integral and peripheral membrane proteins and glycoproteins that are collectively known as the dystrophin-associated protein (DAP) complex. We have generated transgenic/mdx mice expressing "full-length" dystrophin constructs, but with consecutive deletions within the COOH- terminal domains. These mice have enabled analysis of the interaction between dystrophin and members of the DAP complex and the effects that perturbing these associations have on the dystrophic process. Deletions within the cysteine-rich region disrupt the interaction between dystrophin and the DAP complex, leading to a severe dystrophic pathology. These deletions remove the beta-dystroglycan-binding site, which leads to a parallel loss of both beta-dystroglycan and the sarcoglycan complex from the sarcolemma. In contrast, deletion of the alternatively spliced domain and the extreme COOH terminus has no apparent effect on the function of dystrophin when expressed at normal levels. The proteins resulting from these latter two deletions supported formation of a completely normal DAP complex, and their expression was associated with normal muscle morphology in mdx mice. These data indicate that the cysteine-rich domain is critical for functional activity, presumably by mediating a direct interaction with beta-dystroglycan. However, the remainder of the COOH terminus is not required for assembly of the DAP complex.     

Solution structures of the YAP65 WW domain and the variant L30 K in complex with the peptides GTPPPPYTVG, N-(n-octyl)-GPPPY and PLPPY and the application of peptide libraries reveal a minimal binding epitope.

The single mutation L30 K in the Hu-Yap65 WW domain increased the stability of the complex with the peptide GTPPPPYTVG (K(d)=40(+/-5) microM). Here we report the refined solution structure of this complex by NMR spectroscopy and further derived structure-activity relationships by using ligand peptide libraries with truncated sequences and a substitution analysis that yielded acetyl-PPPPY as the smallest high-affinity binding peptide (K(d)=60 microM). The structures of two new complexes with weaker binding ligands chosen based on these results (N-(n-octyl)-GPPPYNH(2) and Ac-PLPPY) comprising the wild-type WW domain of Hu-Yap65 were determined. Comparison of the structures of the three complexes were useful for identifying the molecular basis of high-affinity: hydrophobic and specific interactions between the side-chains of Y28 and W39 and P5' and P4', respectively, and hydrogen bonds between T37 (donnor) and P5' (acceptor) and between W39 (donnor) and T2' (acceptor) stabilize the complex.The structure of the complex L30 K Hu-Yap65 WW domain/GTPPPPYTVG is compared to the published crystal structure of the dystrophin WW domain bound to a segment of the beta-dystroglycan protein and to the solution structure of the first Nedd4 WW domain and its prolin-rich ligand, suggesting that WW sequences bind proline-rich peptides in an evolutionary conserved fashion. The position equivalent to T22 in the Hu-Yap65 WW domain sequence is seen as responsible for differentiation in the binding mode among the WW domains of group I.     

The WW domain: linking cell signalling to the membrane cytoskeleton.

The WW domain is one of the smallest yet most versatile protein-protein interaction modules. The ability of this simple domain to interact with a number of proline-containing ligands has resulted in a great deal of functional diversity. Most recently it has been shown that WW domain interactions can also be differentially regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. Here we briefly review WW domain ligands and structure in comparison to SH3 domain ligands and structure and discuss recent findings with regard to the regulation of WW domain interactions by phosphorylation. In particular we describe the potential for differential binding of the b-dystroglycan WW domain ligand by dystrophin or caveolin-3 in skeletal muscle and show how this could act as a switch to alter the relative affinity of the muscle dystroglycan complex for caveolin-3 or dystrophin and utrophin.     

Subcellular localization of components of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex in cultured retinal muller glial cells

The dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) is a membrane-associated protein complex binding extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, such as laminin and forming a bridge towards the cytoskeleton. The molecular composition of the DGC is cell type dependent and it is involved in cell adhesion and motility. Here we present immunocytochemical localization of beta-dystroglycan, the central member of the DGC, utrophin and Dp71f, the spliced 71 kDa dystrophin protein product of the DMD gene, in cultured retinal Muller glial cells. It is shown that beta-dystroglycan and utrophin are colocalized in clusters in all parts of Muller cells including the lamellipodium and leading edge of migrating cells. As a contrast, Dp71f labels are distinct from beta-dystroglycan and confined to the perinuclear cytoplasm of Muller cells indicating that Dp71f is not a member of the DGC in cultured Muller cells.     

Caveolin-3 directly interacts with the C-terminal tail of beta -dystroglycan. Identification of a central WW-like domain within caveolin family members

Caveolin-3, the most recently recognized member of the caveolin gene family, is muscle-specific and is found in both cardiac and skeletal muscle, as well as smooth muscle cells. Several independent lines of evidence indicate that caveolin-3 is localized to the sarcolemma, where it associates with the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. However, it remains unknown which component of the dystrophin complex interacts with caveolin-3. Here, we demonstrate that caveolin-3 directly interacts with beta-dystroglycan, an integral membrane component of the dystrophin complex. Our results indicate that caveolin-3 co-localizes, co-fractionates, and co-immunoprecipitates with a fusion protein containing the cytoplasmic tail of beta-dystroglycan. In addition, we show that a novel WW-like domain within caveolin-3 directly recognizes the extreme C terminus of beta-dystroglycan that contains a PPXY motif. As the WW domain of dystrophin recognizes the same site within beta-dystroglycan, we also demonstrate that caveolin-3 can effectively block the interaction of dystrophin with beta-dystroglycan. In this regard, interaction of caveolin-3 with beta-dystroglycan may competitively regulate the recruitment of dystrophin to the sarcolemma. We discuss the possible implications of our findings in the context of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.     

Characterization of the beta-dystroglycan-growth factor receptor 2 (Grb2) interaction

The beta-dystroglycan/Grb2 interaction was investigated and a proline-rich region within beta-dystroglycan that binds Grb2-src homology 3 domains identified. We used surface plasmon resonance (SPR), fluorescence analysis, and solid-phase binding assay to measure the affinity constants between Grb2 and the beta-dystroglycan cytoplasmic tail. Analysis of the data obtained from SPR reveals a high-affinity interaction (K(D) approximately 240 nM) between Grb2 and the last 20 amino acids of the beta-dystroglycan carboxyl-terminus, which also contains a dystrophin-binding site. A similar K(D) value (K(D) approximately 280 nM) was obtained by solid-phase binding assay and in solution by fluorescence. Both Grb2-SH3 domains bind beta-dystroglycan but the N-terminal SH3 domain binds with an affinity approximately fourfold higher than that of the C-terminal SH3 domain. The Grb2-beta-dystroglycan interaction was inhibited by dystrophin in a range of concentration of 160-400 nM. These data suggest a highly regulated and dynamic dystrophin/dystroglycan complex formation and that this complex is involved in cell signaling.     

Immunogold confirmation that utrophin is localized to the normal position of dystrophin in dystrophin-negative transgenic mouse muscle

It has been shown previously that when utrophin is highly expressed in mice which lack dystrophin, the muscle pathology is prevented. Immunohistochemical evidence strongly suggests that utrophin in these transgenic mice occupies the position normally filled by dystrophin, although it is not possible to establish this firmly at the level of the light microscope. Using the higher resolution provided by the electron microscope, we demonstrate here by immunogold labelling with both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that utrophin, in both its truncated and full-length forms, is indeed specifically located in the subcellular position usually occupied by dystrophin in normal muscle. Moreover, when double-labelling of utrophin and beta-dystroglycan was carried out, colocalisation of the two labels was often seen, indicating an association of the two proteins. Furthermore, when both utrophin and dystrophin were labelled in a transgenic line in which both were simultaneously expressed, the sites of both proteins were in the same zone in relation to the plasma membrane. When both proteins were present, the density of labelling of each was reduced compared with when they are expressed individually, suggesting that there is a finite number of binding sites. These results constitute further support for the view that utrophin might be therapeutically substituted for dystrophin in dystrophic muscle.     

Pathological pattern of Mdx mice diaphragm correlates with gradual expression of the short utrophin isoform Up71

Utrophin gene is transcribed in a large mRNA of 13 kb that codes for a protein of 395 kDa. It shows amino acid identity with dystrophin of up to 73% and is widely expressed in muscle and non-muscle tissues. Up71 is a short utrophin product of the utrophin gene with the same cysteine-rich and C-terminal domains as full-length utrophin (Up395). Using RT-PCR, Western blots analysis, we demonstrated that Up71 is overexpressed in the mdx diaphragm, the most pathological muscle in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice, compared to wild-type C57BL/10 or other mdx skeletal muscles. Subsequently, we demonstrated that this isoform displayed an increased expression level up to 12 months, whereas full-length utrophin (Up395) decreased. In addition, beta-dystroglycan, the transmembrane glycoprotein that anchors the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain of utrophin, showed similar increase expression in mdx diaphragm, as opposed to other components of the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC) such as alpha-dystrobrevin1 and alpha-sarcoglycan. We demonstrated that Up71 and beta-dystroglycan were progressively accumulated along the extrasynaptic region of regenerating clusters in mdx diaphragm. Our data provide novel functional insights into the pathological role of the Up71 isoform in dystrophinopathies.     

The crystal structures of dystrophin and utrophin spectrin repeats: implications for domain boundaries

Dystrophin and utrophin link the F-actin cytoskeleton to the cell membrane via an associated glycoprotein complex. This functionality results from their domain organization having an N-terminal actin-binding domain followed by multiple spectrin-repeat domains and then C-terminal protein-binding motifs. Therapeutic strategies to replace defective dystrophin with utrophin in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy require full-characterization of both these proteins to assess their degree of structural and functional equivalence. Here the high resolution structures of the first spectrin repeats (N-terminal repeat 1) from both dystrophin and utrophin have been determined by x-ray crystallography. The repeat structures both display a three-helix bundle fold very similar to one another and to homologous domains from spectrin, α-actinin and plectin. The utrophin and dystrophin repeat structures reveal the relationship between the structural domain and the canonical spectrin repeat domain sequence motif, showing the compact structural domain of spectrin repeat one to be extended at the C-terminus relative to its previously defined sequence repeat. These structures explain previous in vitro biochemical studies in which extending dystrophin spectrin repeat domain length leads to increased protein stability. Furthermore we show that the first dystrophin and utrophin spectrin repeats have no affinity for F-actin in the absence of other domains.     

A PDZ-containing scaffold related to the dystrophin complex at the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells

Membrane scaffolding complexes are key features of many cell types, serving as specialized links between the extracellular matrix and the actin cytoskeleton. An important scaffold in skeletal muscle is the dystrophin-associated protein complex. One of the proteins bound directly to dystrophin is syntrophin, a modular protein comprised entirely of interaction motifs, including PDZ (protein domain named for PSD-95, discs large, ZO-1) and pleckstrin homology (PH) domains. In skeletal muscle, the syntrophin PDZ domain recruits sodium channels and signaling molecules, such as neuronal nitric oxide synthase, to the dystrophin complex. In epithelia, we identified a variation of the dystrophin complex, in which syntrophin, and the dystrophin homologues, utrophin and dystrobrevin, are restricted to the basolateral membrane. We used exogenously expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged fusion proteins to determine which domains of syntrophin are responsible for its polarized localization. GFP-tagged full-length syntrophin targeted to the basolateral membrane, but individual domains remained in the cytoplasm. In contrast, the second PH domain tandemly linked to a highly conserved, COOH-terminal region was sufficient for basolateral membrane targeting and association with utrophin. The results suggest an interaction between syntrophin and utrophin that leaves the PDZ domain of syntrophin available to recruit additional proteins to the epithelial basolateral membrane. The assembly of multiprotein signaling complexes at sites of membrane specialization may be a widespread function of dystrophin-related protein complexes.     

Interactions between AMOT PPxY motifs and NEDD4L WW domains function in HIV-1 release

Like most enveloped viruses, HIV must acquire a lipid membrane as it assembles and buds through the plasma membrane of infected cells to spread infection. Several sets of host cell machinery facilitate this process, including proteins of the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport pathway, which mediates the membrane fission reaction required to complete viral budding, as well as angiomotin (AMOT) and NEDD4L, which bind one another and promote virion membrane envelopment. AMOT and NEDD4L interact through the four NEDD4L WW domains and three different AMOT Pro-Pro-x (any amino acid)-Tyr (PPxY) motifs, but these interactions are not yet well defined. Here, we report that individual AMOT PPxY and NEDD4L WW domains interact with the following general affinity hierarchies: AMOT PPxY1>PPxY2>PPxY3 and NEDD4L WW3>WW2>WW1∼WW4. The unusually high-affinity of the AMOT PPxY1–NEDD4L WW3 interaction accounts for most of the AMOT–NEDD4L binding and is critical for stimulating HIV-1 release. Comparative structural, binding, and virological analyses reveal that complementary ionic and hydrophobic contacts on both sides of the WW–PPxY core interaction account for the unusually high affinity of the AMOT PPxY1–NEDD4L WW3 interaction. Taken together, our studies reveal how the first AMOT PPxY1 motif binds the third NEDD4L WW domain to stimulate HIV-1 viral envelopment and promote infectivity.     

Structural features and ligand binding properties of tandem WW domains from YAP and TAZ, nuclear effectors of the Hippo pathway

The paralogous multifunctional adaptor proteins YAP and TAZ are the nuclear effectors of the Hippo pathway, a central mechanism of organ size control and stem cell self-renewal. WW domains, mediators of protein-protein interactions, are essential for YAP and TAZ function, enabling interactions with PPxY motifs of numerous partner proteins. YAP has single and double WW domain isoforms (YAP1 and YAP2) whereas only a single WW domain isoform of TAZ has been described to date. Here we identify the first example of a double WW domain isoform of TAZ. Using NMR, we have characterized conformational features and peptide binding of YAP and TAZ tandem WW domains (WW1-WW2). The solution structure of YAP WW2 confirms that it has a canonical three-stranded antiparallel β-sheet WW domain fold. While chemical shift-based analysis indicates that the WW domains in the tandem WW pairs retain the characteristic WW domain fold, 15N relaxation data show that, within the respective WW pairs, YAP WW1 and both WW1 and WW2 of TAZ undergo conformational exchange. 15N relaxation data also indicate that the linker between the WW domains is flexible in both YAP and TAZ. Within both YAP and TAZ tandem WW pairs, WW1 and WW2 bind single PPxY-containing peptide ligand concurrently and noncooperatively with sub-mM affinity. YAP and TAZ WW1-WW2 bind a dual PPxY-containing peptide with approximately 6-fold higher affinity. Our results indicate that both WW domains in YAP and TAZ are functional and capable of enhanced affinity binding to multi-PPxY partner proteins such as LATS1, ErbB4, and AMOT.