泛素连接酶SCF~(FBW7)调控的靶蛋白研究进展

FBW7(F-box and WD repeat domain-containing7,FBW7)为F-box蛋白家族成员,是SCF型泛素连接酶复合物的底物识别蛋白,介导细胞内多种蛋白质经泛素-蛋白酶体途径降解。FBW7通过靶向降解多种癌蛋白如Mcl-1、Notch、HIF-1α、Cyclin E和KFL5等,参与调控细胞增殖、分化、凋亡及肿瘤转移等多种生物学过程。作为一种肿瘤抑制蛋白,FBW7基因突变或缺失存在于多种人类肿瘤中,如白血病、乳腺癌、卵巢癌、胆管癌等,并在这些肿瘤的发生和发展中发挥重要作用。因此,针对FBW7的深入研究有助于理解肿瘤的发生发展机制以及开发肿瘤治疗新方案。本文就FBW7调控的癌蛋白研究进展作一综述。     

SCF泛素连接酶靶蛋白识别组分FBW7

FBW7（F-box and WD repeat domain-containing7）是F-box蛋白家族成员,为SCF（SKP1-CUL1-F-box）型泛素连接酶的靶蛋白识别组分。FBW7通过靶降解周期蛋白E、Myc、Jun等多种癌蛋白,对细胞周期进程、细胞生长、分化起重要调控作用。在多种人类肿瘤中已发现FBW7突变,FBW7功能缺失会引起染色体不稳定及肿瘤发生,表明FBW7是一种肿瘤抑制因子。在FBW7缺失所致的肿瘤发生过程中,周期蛋白E、Myc等靶蛋白活性升高、p53功能缺失有重要作用。     

病毒利用泛素系统生存、增殖的方式

真核生物中, 泛素系统是个复杂的体系, 主要包括泛素,26S 蛋白酶体和酶系统E1、E2 、E3。泛素- 蛋白酶体通路是细胞内非溶酶体蛋白降解的主要系统, 在许多细胞功能中发挥重要作用。最近研究发现, 许多病毒利用泛素系统为其自身服务, 这涉及病毒生活史的各个阶段并干扰宿主抗病毒反应的多种方式, 如下调细胞表面免疫分子而实现免疫逃避、调控病毒的基因转录、抑制细胞凋亡、促使病毒出芽和释放等。深入了
解病毒利用泛素系统的机制, 将为研究病毒感染机制提供新的视角, 并为药物研发提供新的靶标。     

泛素链的形成机理

泛素化是真核细胞中重要的蛋白质翻译后修饰过程,通过靶向蛋白质降解或其他信号途径参与多种细胞功能.底物蛋白的多聚泛素化修饰是一个持续的过程,其中不仅涉及复杂泛素系统相关酶的参与,而且存在更为复杂的结构上相互作用与泛素链组装机理.不同的泛素链修饰决定了底物蛋白下游的不同命运,泛素结合酶E2在泛素链形成中的重要作用受到越来越多的关注.对泛素链形成机理的深入研究与认识有利于发现与泛素系统相关的疾病靶点和利用泛素化调控方法进行治疗.本综述总结了E2和E3如何决定不同泛素链形成的机制和相关的结构信息,以及两种不同的泛素链组装机制.     

泛素-蛋白酶体途径及其生物学作用的研究进展

泛素-蛋白酶体途径是细胞内重要的非溶酶体蛋白降解途径,是调节各种细胞生物学过程的重要机制,参与调节细胞周期进程、细胞增生与分化以及信号转导等各种细胞生理过程,对维持细胞正常生理功能具有十分重要的意义。本文简要介绍了泛素-蛋白酶体途径的作用过程,并从其对某些抑癌基因、转录因子和细胞周期素依赖性激酶抑制蛋白的调节,参与肿瘤及癌症的发生和发展,讨论其生物学作用,并指出其在药物研究方面的重要作用。     

泛素化和磷酸化协同作用调控蛋白质降解

在真核细胞中,泛素化和磷酸化是2种常见的蛋白质修饰方式。泛素在蛋白酶体降解途径中发挥重要的靶向作用,细胞外信号严格调控着目的蛋白的泛素化。在很多情况下,这种调控依赖于蛋白质的磷酸化。由磷酸化影响的调控步骤可能与E3泛素连接酶对底物的识别有关,也可能与实际的交联反应有关。这种调控是通过对底物或E3连接酶本身的磷酸化实现的。     

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径与植物的生长发育

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径在植物蛋白降解系统中起重要作用,泛素分子主要通过泛素活化酶(E1)、泛素结合酶(E2)和泛素连接酶(E3)将靶蛋白泛素化,泛素化的蛋白最后被26S蛋白酶体识别和降解。泛素蛋白酶体途径参与植物体内的多种生理过程,如花和胚的发育、光形态建成、植物生长物质等几乎所有的生长发育过程,本文主要对泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径及其在植物生长发育过程中的精确调控作用进行综述。     

人泛素连接酶AREL1催化结构域的晶体结构

泛素化是一种重要的翻译后修饰,几乎调控着生命活动的所有方面.泛素连接酶是泛素化过程中唯一对底物蛋白质有特异性识别能力的一类酶,它们在泛素化过程中是不可或缺的,起到非常关键的作用.人抗凋亡E3泛素连接酶(AREL1)是HECT泛素连接酶家族成员之一,它能够泛素化促凋亡蛋白SMAC、HtrA2和ARTS,并通过蛋白酶体将它们降解,从而发挥抵抗细胞凋亡的作用.本文解析了3.2?分辨率的人AREL1蛋白催化结构域(AREL1HECT)的晶体结构,并将其与HECT家族中其他成员的结构进行了比对.尺寸排阻色谱和X射线小角散射的结果表明,AREL1HECT在溶液中是以多种聚集状态形式存在的,小角散射的3D模型进一步表明AREL1HECT在溶液中会发生二聚化.这些结果将为AREL1HECT与泛素复合物结构的解析及功能的分析提供坚实的结构基础,为揭示AREL1泛素化底物蛋白质的分子机制提供重要的依据.     

原核生物类泛素蛋白Pup-蛋白酶体系统的研究进展

真核泛素-蛋白酶体系统是细胞内蛋白质降解的重要机制,参与细胞生理功能调控,因此泛素-蛋白酶体通路的机制和功能研究备受关注.20世纪80年代,人们就发现放线菌中存在原核蛋白酶体,但是对于原核蛋白酶体的功能和作用机理长期以来了解甚少.2008年,Pearce等在结核分枝杆菌中发现了原核类泛素蛋白(prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein,Pup).在Dop、PafA、Mpa等辅助因子的作用下,Pup可以共价标记多种功能蛋白,并介导被标记蛋白质通过蛋白酶体降解,Pup-蛋白酶体系统的发现揭示了原核生物中一个崭新的蛋白质降解机制.Pup-蛋白酶体系统的靶蛋白涉及物质中间代谢、信号通路、毒性和抗毒性因子、细胞壁和细胞膜组分等多个方面,并且与结核分枝杆菌的致病性相关,被认为是新的结核病治疗药物靶点.本文就原核Pup-蛋白酶体系统的作用机理及其功能的研究进展作一综述.     

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径及其在植物生长发育中的功能

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径是一种蛋白高效降解途径,主要负责真核细胞内蛋白的选择性降解.泛素分子主要通过泛素活化酶E1、泛素结合酶E2和泛素-蛋白连接酶E3将靶蛋白泛素化,泛素化的蛋白最后被26S蛋白酶体识别和降解.本文介绍了泛素/26S蛋白体介导的特异性蛋白质降解途经,并对其在植物激素信号、光形态建成、植物衰老、自交不亲和反应、细胞周期调控、花的发育、生物钟节律和非生物胁迫响应中的功能最新研究进展进行了综述.     

ERK kinase phosphorylates and destabilizes the tumor suppressor FBW7 in pancreatic cancer

F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBW7) is the substrate recognition component of the Skp1-Cul1-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex and functions as a major tumor suppressor by targeting various oncoproteins for degradation. Genomic deletion or mutation of FBW7 has frequently been identified in many human cancers but not in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Thus it is important to know how the tumor suppressive function of FBW7 is impaired in pancreatic cancer. In this study, we first observed that low FBW7 expression correlated significantly with ERK activation in pancreatic cancer clinical samples, primarily due to KRAS mutations in pancreatic cancer. We further showed that ERK directly interacted with FBW7 and phosphorylated FBW7 at Thr205, which sequentially promoted FBW7 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Furthermore, the phospho-deficient T205A FBW7 mutant is resistant to ERK activation and could significantly suppress pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. These results collectively demonstrate how the oncogenic KRAS mutation inhibits the tumor suppressor FBW7, thus revealing an important function of KRAS mutations in promoting pancreatic cancer progression.     

The two faces of FBW7 in cancer drug resistance

Chemotherapy is an important therapeutic approach for cancer treatment. However, drug resistance is an obstacle that often impairs the successful use of chemotherapies. Therefore, overcoming drug resistance would lead to better therapeutic outcomes for cancer patients. Recently, studies by our own and other groups have demonstrated that there is an intimate correlation between the loss of the F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBW7) tumor suppressor and the incurring drug resistance. While loss of FBW7 sensitizes cancer cells to certain drugs, FBW7-/- cells are more resistant to other types of chemotherapies. FBW7 exerts its tumor suppressor function by promoting the degradation of various oncoproteins that regulate many cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, cellular metabolism, differentiation, and apoptosis. Since loss of the FBW7 tumor suppressor is linked to drug resistance, FBW7 may represent a novel therapeutic target to increase drug sensitivity of cancer cells to conventional chemotherapeutics. This paper thus focuses on the new functional aspects of FBW7 in drug resistance.     

Tumor suppressor functions of FBW7 in cancer development and progression

FBW7 (F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7) has been characterized as an onco-suppressor protein in human cancers. Recent studies have also shown that FBW7 exerts its anti-tumor function primarily by promoting the degradation of various oncoproteins, through which FBW7 regulates cellular proliferation, differentiation and causes genetic instability. In this review, we will discuss the role of FBW7 downstream substrates and how dysregulation of Fbw7-mediated proteolysis of these substrates contributes to tumorigenesis. Additionally, we will also summarize the currently available various Fbw7-knockout mouse models that support Fbw7 as a tumor suppressor gene in the development and progression of human malignancies.     

Corrigendum

FBW7 (F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7), also known as FBXW7 or hCDC4, is a tumor suppressor gene mutated in a broad spectrum of cancer cell types. As a component of the SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase, FBW7 is responsible for specifically recognizing phosphorylated substrates, many important for tumor progression, and targeting them for ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Although the role of FBW7 as a tumor suppressor is well established, less well studied is how FBW7-mutated cancer cells might be targeted for selective killing. To explore this further, we undertook a genome-wide RNAi screen using WT and FBW7 knockout colorectal cell lines and identified the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) protein BUBR1, as a candidate synthetic lethal target. We show here that asynchronous FBW7 knockout cells have increased levels of mitotic APC/C substrates and are sensitive to knockdown of not just BUBR1 but BUB1 and MPS1, other known SAC components, suggesting a dependence of these cells on the mitotic checkpoint. Consistent with this dependence, knockdown of BUBR1 in cells lacking FBW7 results in significant cell aneuploidy and increases in p53 levels. The FBW7 substrate cyclin E was necessary for the genetic interaction with BUBR1. In contrast, the establishment of this dependence on the SAC requires the deregulation of multiple substrates of FBW7. Our work suggests that FBW7 knockout cells are vulnerable in their dependence on the mitotic checkpoint and that this may be a good potential target to exploit in FBW7-mutated cancer cells.     

FBW7泛素化修饰Snail促进上皮间质转化的实验研究

目的:探讨FBW7(F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7)是否参与转录抑制因子Snail的泛素化修饰,通过调节上皮间质转化(EMT)进而导致非小细胞肺癌的侵袭和转移,为治疗非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)患者晚期转移提供新的思路。方法:首先,通过Western Blot方法检测多种人肺细胞系中Snail的表达水平。上调(药物处理)及下调(设计并合成特异性sh RNA转染)H460细胞中FBW7的表达后,检测Snail的表达水平。采用平板克隆及Transwell方法检测下调FBW7的H460细胞形态改变和侵袭转移能力变化。结果:人非小细胞肺癌H460细胞中Snail表达水平较高。上调FBW7表达可使Snail表达下降,经蛋白酶抑制剂MG132处理后Snail表达升高;而下调FBW7表达后Snail表达增加。下调FBW7表达细胞后,细胞形态改变,侵袭转移能力增强。结论:FBW7参与了Snail泛素化修饰,进而经蛋白酶体途径将其降解引起EMT,导致肿瘤转移和进展的发生。     

Characterization of a Mouse Gene (Fbxw6) That Encodes a Homologue of Caenorhabditis elegans SEL-10

The SCF complex is a type of ubiquitin ligase that consists of the invariable components SKP1, CUL1, and RBX1 as well as a variable component, known as an F-box protein, that is the main determinant of substrate specificity. The Caenorhabditis elegans F-box- and WD40-repeat-containing protein SEL-10 functionally and physically associates with LIN-12 and SEL-12, orthologues of mammalian Notch and presenilin, respectively. We have now identified a gene (which we call Fbxw6) that encodes a mouse homologue (F-box–WD40 repeat protein 6, or FBW6) of SEL-10 and is expressed mainly in brain, heart, and testis. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis showed that FBW6 interacts with SKP1 and CUL1, indicating that these three proteins form an SCF complex. Comparison of the genomic organization of Fbxw6, which is located on mouse chromosome 3.3E3, with that of mouse Fbxw1, Fbxw2, and Fbxw4 showed only a low level of similarity, indicating that these genes diverged relatively early and thereafter evolved independently.     

Characterization of a mouse gene (Fbxw6) that encodes a homologue of Caenorhabditis elegans SEL-10.

The SCF complex is a type of ubiquitin ligase that consists of the invariable components SKP1, CUL1, and RBX1 as well as a variable component, known as an F-box protein, that is the main determinant of substrate specificity. The Caenorhabditis elegans F-box- and WD40-repeat-containing protein SEL-10 functionally and physically associates with LIN-12 and SEL-12, orthologues of mammalian Notch and presenilin, respectively. We have now identified a gene (which we call Fbxw6) that encodes a mouse homologue (F-box-WD40 repeat protein 6, or FBW6) of SEL-10 and is expressed mainly in brain, heart, and testis. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis showed that FBW6 interacts with SKP1 and CUL1, indicating that these three proteins form an SCF complex. Comparison of the genomic organization of Fbxw6, which is located on mouse chromosome 3.3E3, with that of mouse Fbxw1, Fbxw2, and Fbxw4 showed only a low level of similarity, indicating that these genes diverged relatively early and thereafter evolved independently.