Many proteins contain targeting signals within their sequences that specify
their delivery to particular organelles. The peroxisomal targeting signal-
1 (PTS1) is a C-terminal tripeptide that is sufficient to direct proteins i
nto peroxisomes. The PTS1 sequence closely approximates Ser-Lys-Leu-COO-. P
EX5, the receptor for PTSI, interacts with the signal via a series of tetra
tricopeptide repeats (TPRs) within its C-terminal half. Here we report the
crystal structure of a fragment of human PEX5 that includes all seven predi
cted TPR motifs in complex with a pentapeptide containing a PTS1 sequence.
Two clusters of three TPRs almost completely surround the peptide, while a
hinge region, previously identified as TPR4 forms a distinct structure that
enables the two sets of TPRs to form a single binding site. This structure
reveals the molecular basis for PTS1 recognition and demonstrates a novel
mode of TPR-peptide interaction.