蛋白质SUMO化修饰研究进展

SUMO(small ubiquitin-related modifier)是类泛素蛋白家族的重要成员之一,可与多种蛋白结合发挥相应的功能,其分子结构及SUMO化反应途径都与泛素类似,但二者功能完全不同。SUMO化修饰可参与转录调节、核转运、维持基因组完整性及信号转导等多种细胞内活动,是一种重要的多功能的蛋白质翻译后修饰方式。SUMO化修饰功能的失调可能导致某些疾病的发生。     

植物蛋白质SUMO化修饰体外高效检测系统

蛋白质SUMO化修饰是一种调控蛋白命运的关键修饰方式, 广泛参与植物生长发育及逆境胁迫响应。SUMO化修饰过程主要由激活酶(E1)-结合酶(E2)-连接酶(E3)组成的级联酶促反应催化, 其关键酶组分将SUMO分子缀合至底物蛋白的赖氨酸残基, 形成共价异肽键以完成SUMO化修饰过程。该文报道了1种植物蛋白质SUMO化修饰体外高效检测系统, 通过在大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)中构建拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana) SUMO化修饰的关键通路实现对底物蛋白的SUMO化修饰, 结果可通过免疫印迹进行检测。该系统可以简化植物蛋白质SUMO化修饰的检测流程, 为植物细胞SUMO化修饰的功能研究提供了有力工具。     

植物SUMO化修饰研究进展

SUMO化修饰是一种高度保守的蛋白质翻译后修饰。在SUMO化酶系统的协同作用下,成熟的SUMO分子以异肽键的方式结合到靶蛋白上,调控靶蛋白稳定性、活性、定位等。同时,发生SUMO化修饰的蛋白在SUMO特异蛋白酶的作用下发生去SUMO化反应,使SUMO重新进入循环过程。已知SUMO化修饰参与了植物胁迫响应、生长发育、开花等重要生理过程的调控。本文主要介绍了植物SUMO化修饰途径及其调控的生物学过程,并讨论蛋白组学方法在SUMO化修饰底物鉴定的进展及问题。     

蛋白质SUMO化和泛素化修饰的关系

泛素化和SUMO化是蛋白质翻译后修饰的重要方式,广泛参与调节蛋白质功能和细胞生命活动各个环节。多聚泛素化降解蛋白质,而SUMO化主要调节蛋白质的相互作用和定位等。在不同情况下,SUMO化和泛素化既可协同调节蛋白质功能,也可相互拮抗。最近研究发现,某些底物的SUMO化能够激活体内一类新发现的SUMO依赖的泛素连接酶,启动泛素-蛋白酶体途径降解底物,导致蛋白质SUMO化和汔素化的关系进一步精细化和复杂化。     

小泛素相关修饰物SUMO研究进展

蛋白质翻译后修饰对改变蛋白功能、活性或定位都起着非常重要的作用,泛素及其相似蛋白的修饰是其中一种重要形式。与其他诸如磷酸化、乙酰化、糖基化等不同的是,泛素及其相似蛋白的修饰基团本身即是一个小的多肽,通过异肽键与靶蛋白Lys侧链ε-NH2相连,其中小泛素相关修饰物(small ubiquitin—related modifier,SUMO)与蛋白的共价连接是一种新的广泛存在的翻译后修饰形式。SUMO是广泛存在于真核生物中高度保守的蛋白家族,在脊椎动物中有三个SUMO基因,称为SUMO-1,-2,-3,与泛素在二级结构上极其相似,且催化修饰过程的酶体系也具有很高的同源性。然而,与泛素化介导的蛋白酶降解途径不同,SUMO化修饰发挥着更为广泛的功能,如核质转运、细胞周期调控、信号转导、转录活性调控等。     

SUMO化在细胞生长中的作用

小泛素样修饰蛋白SUMO是与泛素相类似的蛋白质,属于类泛素蛋白家族中的一个重要成员。SUMO可参与蛋白质翻译后修饰,通过一系列酶介导的级联反应而共价结合于靶蛋白的赖氨酸残基上,该过程被称为SUMOylation,即SUMO化。近年来,继泛素在细胞中的作用被不断探索之后,SUMO蛋白的多种作用也被发掘而出。现就SUMO化在细胞周期、凋亡、信号通路与转录调控及细胞应激等方面的作用作一综述。     

去泛素化酶活性的调控

泛素化是一种非常重要的蛋白质翻译后修饰方式,在细胞生命活动的各个方面发挥作用。泛素化修饰是可逆的过程,去泛素化酶通过催化去除底物蛋白质上的泛素从而逆转该过程。去泛素化酶是一类数量众多的蛋白水解酶家族,近年来不断有新的去泛素化酶被发现和报道。鉴于其在细胞功能中的重要作用,去泛素化酶活性受到严格的调控。目前的研究表明,影响去泛素化酶活性的因素很多。本文主要从转录水平的调控、翻译后修饰、蛋白质定位和蛋白质相互作用等调控方式进行论述,以期为研究和利用去泛素化酶治疗疾病提供新思路。     

泛素化修饰对疾病信号通路的调控

蛋白质在生物体的生理调控过程中发挥着重要的功能。在体内,蛋白质的合成、降解、活性与功能受到多种翻译后修饰的调控,其中泛素化修饰尤为重要。发现和阐明一些关键蛋白质的泛素化调控机制对理解蛋白质功能、细胞信号调控、疾病发病机理等都有着重要的作用。在这篇综述中,我们围绕与疾病相关的m TORC1和Hippo等关键信号通路,综述泛素化修饰在疾病相关信号通路中的重要作用。理解和阐明这些信号通路中关键蛋白的翻译后修饰调控机制将会进一步拓展我们对于细胞信号网络的认知。     

SUMO化修饰在NF-κB信号通路中的作用

小泛素相关修饰物（smallubiq uitin related modifier,SUMO）修饰是与泛素化修饰类似的蛋白质翻译后修饰,在细胞信号转导、核质运输与转录调控等方面发挥重要作用。核因子-κB（nuclear factor-κB,NF-κB）通路是公认的参与炎症和免疫反应的重要调节通路。近年来研究发现,SUMO通过各种机制广泛参与NF-κB信号通路的调节。研究两者的关系,可能为相关疾病的防治找到新的思路。     

HIF-1α的可逆性SUMO化修饰

低氧诱导因子1(hypoxia inducible factor-1, HIF-1)是参与调节机体氧平衡的重要转录因子,在细胞低氧应答反应中起核心作用,能调节100多种涉及低氧应激下细胞适应和存活的靶基因．HIF-1由氧敏感的α亚基和在细胞内稳定表达的β亚基组成．其中α亚基可受到多种翻译后化学修饰作用,如在常氧下,HIF-1α通过泛素化蛋白酶修饰并导致其快速降解．最近几年发现的泛素样蛋白家族成员小泛素蛋白样修饰蛋白（SUMO）也能与HIF-1α共价结合．SUMO是一种分子量约为12 kD的小蛋白,从拟南芥到人类普遍存在．SUMO可共价结合许多靶底物蛋白,并对其进行翻译后修饰,该过程称为SUMO化．与泛素化蛋白酶体途径不同的是,SUMO化修饰能在常氧和相对低氧的条件下调节HIF-1α蛋白的稳定性,从而改变其转录活性．SUMO化是一个可逆的动态过程,可被特异性蛋白酶ULP/SENP将其从底物上去除．本文主要就HIF-1α的可逆性SUMO化修饰作一综述．     

SUMOylation and cell signalling

SUMOylation is a highly transient post-translational protein modification. Attachment of SUMO to target proteins occurs via a number of specific activating and ligating enzymes that form the SUMO-substrate complex, and other SUMO-specific proteases that cleave the covalent bond, thus leaving both SUMO and target protein free for the next round of modification. SUMO modification has major effects on numerous aspects of substrate function, including subcellular localisation, regulation of their target genes, and interactions with other molecules. The modified SUMO-protein complex is a very transient state, and it thus facilitates rapid response and actions by the cell, when needed. Like phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination, SUMOylation has been associated with a number of cellular processes. In addition to its nuclear role, important sides of mitochondrial activity, stress response signalling and the decision of cells to undergo senescence or apoptosis, have now been shown to involve the SUMO pathway. With ever increasing numbers of reports linking SUMO to human disease, like neurodegeneration and cancer metastasis, it is highly likely that novel and equally important functions of components of the SUMOylation process in cell signalling pathways will be elucidated in the near future.     

USP2a protein deubiquitinates and stabilizes the circadian protein CRY1 in response to inflammatory signals

The mammalian circadian clock coordinates various physiological activities with environmental cues to achieve optimal adaptation. The clock manifests oscillations of key clock proteins, which are under dynamic control at multiple post-translational levels. As a major post-translational regulator, the ubiquitination-dependent proteasome degradation system is counterbalanced by a large group of deubiquitin proteases with distinct substrate preference. Until now, whether deubiquitination by ubiquitin-specific proteases can regulate the clock protein stability and circadian pathways remains largely unclear. The mammalian clock protein, cryptochrome 1 (CRY1), is degraded via the FBXL3-mediated ubiquitination pathway, suggesting that it is also likely to be targeted by the deubiquitination pathway. Here, we identified that USP2a, a circadian-controlled deubiquitinating enzyme, interacts with CRY1 and enhances its protein stability via deubiquitination upon serum shock. Depletion of Usp2a by shRNA greatly enhances the ubiquitination of CRY1 and dampens the oscillation amplitude of the CRY1 protein during a circadian cycle. By stabilizing the CRY1 protein, USP2a represses the Per2 promoter activity as well as the endogenous Per2 gene expression. We also demonstrated that USP2a-dependent deubiquitination and stabilization of the CRY1 protein occur in the mouse liver. Interestingly, the pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, increases the CRY1 protein level and inhibits circadian gene expression in a USP2a-dependent fashion. Therefore, USP2a potentially mediates circadian disruption by suppressing the CRY1 degradation during inflammation.     

The structure and functions of NPM1/Nucleophsmin/B23, a multifunctional nucleolar acidic protein

NPM1/Nucleophosmin/B23, also termed NO38 or numatrin, is an acidic nucleolar protein that plays multiple roles in cell growth and proliferation. In general, the expression level of B23 is proportional to the cell growth rate, suggesting that it plays a positive role(s) in cell growth and proliferation. It is important to note that the deletion of the B23 gene and expression of an aberrant type of this gene--caused by gene conversion via translocation or reading-frame shift via nucleotides insertion-have been observed in diverse haematopoietic malignancies. Thus, it is important to understand the function of B23 in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation. In addition, B23 has been reported to undergo a variety of post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, acetylation and poly-(ADP-ribosyl)ation. In this review, the basic structure and functions of B23 as well as the regulation of these functions are summarized.     

The role of post-translational modifications in fine-tuning BLM helicase function during DNA repair

RecQ-like helicases are a highly conserved family of proteins which are critical for preserving genome integrity. Genome instability is considered a hallmark of cancer and mutations within three of the five human RECQ genes cause hereditary syndromes that are associated with cancer predisposition. The human RecQ-like helicase BLM has a central role in DNA damage signaling, repair, replication, and telomere maintenance. BLM and its budding yeast orthologue Sgs1 unwind double-stranded DNA intermediates. Intriguingly, BLM functions in both a pro- and anti-recombinogenic manner upon replicative damage, acting on similar substrates. Thus, BLM activity must be intricately controlled to prevent illegitimate recombination events that could have detrimental effects on genome integrity. In recent years it has become evident that post-translational modifications (PTMs) of BLM allow a fine-tuning of its function. To date, BLM phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and SUMOylation have been identified, in turn regulating its subcellular localization, protein–protein interactions, and protein stability. In this review, we will discuss the cellular context of when and how these different modifications of BLM occur. We will reflect on the current model of how PTMs control BLM function during DNA damage repair and compare this to what is known about post-translational regulation of the budding yeast orthologue Sgs1. Finally, we will provide an outlook toward future research, in particular to dissect the cross-talk between the individual PTMs on BLM.