Immunoproteasomes and standard proteasomes assemble by alternative pathways that bias against the formation of certain "mixed" proteasomes. Differences between beta subunit propeptides contribute to assembly specificity and an assembly chaperone, proteassemblin, may be involved via differential propeptide interactions. We investigated possible mechanisms of biased proteasome assembly and the role of proteassemblin by identifying protein-protein interactions among human 20S proteasome subunits and proteassemblin using a yeast two-hybrid interaction assay. Forty-one interactions were detected, including five involving proteassemblin and contiguous beta subunits, which suggests that proteassemblin binds to preproteasomes via a beta subunit surface. Interaction between proteassemblin and beta5, but not beta5i, suggests that proteassemblin may be involved in the propeptide-dependent differential incorporation of these subunits. Interactions between proteassemblin and beta1, beta1i, and beta7 suggest that proteassemblin may regulate preproteasome dimerization via interactions with the C-termini of these subunits, which in the mature 20S structure extend to contact opposing beta subunit rings. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.