Structure of DDB1 in complex with a paramyxovirus V protein: viral hijack of a propeller cluster in ubiquitin ligase

The DDB1-Cul4A ubiquitin ligase complex promotes protein ubiquitination in diverse cellular functions and is reprogrammed by the V proteins of paramyxoviruses to degrade STATs and block interferon signaling. Here we report the crystal structures of DDB1 alone and in complex with the simian virus 5 V protein. The DDB1 structure reveals an intertwined three-propeller cluster, which contains two tightly coupled beta propellers with a large pocket in between and a third beta propeller flexibly attached on the side. The rigid double-propeller fold of DDB1 is targeted by the viral V protein, which inserts an entire helix into the double-propeller pocket, whereas the third propeller domain docks DDB1 to the N terminus of the Cul4A scaffold. Together, these results not only provide structural insights into how the virus hijacks the DDB1-Cul4A ubiquitin ligase but also establish a structural framework for understanding the multiple functions of DDB1 in the uniquely assembled cullin-RING E3 machinery.