Processive ubiquitin chain formation by the anaphase-promoting complex

Progression through mitosis requires the sequential ubiquitination of cell cycle regulators by the anaphase-promoting complex, resulting in their proteasomal degradation. Although several mechanisms contribute to APC/C regulation during mitosis, the APC/C is able to discriminate between its many substrates by exploiting differences in the processivity of ubiquitin chain assembly. Here, we discuss how the APC/C achieves processive ubiquitin chain formation to trigger the sequential degradation of cell cycle regulators during mitosis.     

Inhibition of ubiquitin ligase Siah-1A by disabled-1

Disabled-1 (Dab1) is a cytosolic adaptor protein that plays critical roles in cortical development. However, a detailed mechanism of action has not yet been clearly defined. Through yeast two-hybrid screening, we observed that mouse Siah-1A, an E3 ubiquitin ligase containing a RING finger motif, interacts with Dab1. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments and in vitro binding experiments both indicated direct interaction between Siah and Dab1. Steady-state expression of Siah was enhanced by the presence of Dab1 or lactacystin, a representative proteasomal inhibitor. Auto-ubiquitination of Siah was inhibited by the presence of Dab1, suggesting inhibition of Siah activity and subsequent increase of Siah expression by Dab1. Both Dab1-induced increase of steady-state expression of Deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC), one of the well-known substrates of Siah, and its inhibition by Siah Delta R suggest that Dab1 increases expression of DCC through inhibiting the activity of endogenous Siah. Our results suggest that Dab1 inhibits the activity of Siah.     

Isoform- and cell cycle-dependent substrate degradation by the Fbw7 ubiquitin ligase

The SCF(FBW7) ubiquitin ligase degrades proteins involved in cell division, growth, and differentiation and is commonly mutated in cancers. The Fbw7 locus encodes three protein isoforms that occupy distinct subcellular localizations, suggesting that each has unique functions. We used gene targeting to create isoform-specific Fbw7-null mutations in human cells and found that the nucleoplasmic Fbw7alpha isoform accounts for almost all Fbw7 activity toward cyclin E, c-Myc, and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1. Cyclin E sensitivity to Fbw7 varies during the cell cycle, and this correlates with changes in cyclin E-cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2)-specific activity, cyclin E autophosphorylation, and CDK2 inhibitory phosphorylation. These data suggest that oscillations in cyclin E-CDK2-specific activity during the cell cycle regulate the timing of cyclin E degradation. Moreover, they highlight the utility of adeno-associated virus-mediated gene targeting in functional analyses of complex loci.     

A ubiquitin ligase complex assembles linear polyubiquitin chains

The ubiquitin system plays important roles in the regulation of numerous cellular processes by conjugating ubiquitin to target proteins. In most cases, conjugation of polyubiquitin to target proteins regulates their function. In the polyubiquitin chains reported to date, ubiquitin monomers are linked via isopeptide bonds between an internal Lys and a C-terminal Gly. Here, we report that a protein complex consisting of two RING finger proteins, HOIL-1L and HOIP, exhibits ubiquitin polymerization activity by recognizing ubiquitin moieties of proteins. The polyubiquitin chain generated by the complex is not formed by Lys linkages, but by linkages between the C- and N-termini of ubiquitin, indicating that the ligase complex possesses a unique feature to assemble a novel head-to-tail linear polyubiquitin chain. Moreover, the complex regulates the stability of Ub-GFP (a GFP fusion protein with an N-terminal ubiquitin). The linear polyubiquitin chain generated post-translationally may function as a new modulator of proteins.     

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。     

Occurrence of a putative SCF ubiquitin ligase complex in Drosophila

Many proteins are targeted to proteasome degradation by a family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, termed SCF complexes, that link substrate proteins to an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. SCFs are composed of three core proteins-Skp1, Cdc53/Cull, Rbx1/Hrt1-and a substrate specific F-box protein. We have identified in Drosophila melanogaster the closest homologues to the human components of the SCF(betaTrCP) complex and the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UbcH5. We show that putative Drosophila SCF core subunits dSkpA and dRbx1 both interact directly with dCu11 and the F-box protein Slmb. We also describe the direct interaction of the UbcH5 related protein UbcD1 with dCul1 and Slmb. In addition, a functional complementation test performed on a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hrt1p-deficient mutant showed that Drosophila Rbx1 is able to restore the yeast cells viability. Our results suggest that dRbx1, dSkpA, dCullin1, and Slimb proteins are components of a Drosophila SCF complex that functions in combination with the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme UbcD1.     

Regulation of ubiquitin ligase dynamics by the nucleolus

Cellular pathways relay information through dynamic protein interactions. We have assessed the kinetic properties of the murine double minute protein (MDM2) and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) ubiquitin ligases in living cells under physiological conditions that alter the stability of their respective p53 and hypoxia-inducible factor substrates. Photobleaching experiments reveal that MDM2 and VHL are highly mobile proteins in settings where their substrates are efficiently degraded. The nucleolar architecture converts MDM2 and VHL to a static state in response to regulatory cues that are associated with substrate stability. After signal termination, the nucleolus is able to rapidly release these proteins from static detention, thereby restoring their high mobility profiles. A protein surface region of VHL's beta-sheet domain was identified as a discrete [H+]-responsive nucleolar detention signal that targets the VHL/Cullin-2 ubiquitin ligase complex to nucleoli in response to physiological fluctuations in environmental pH. Data shown here provide the first evidence that cells have evolved a mechanism to regulate molecular networks by reversibly switching proteins between a mobile and static state.     

Coronin7 forms a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to promote the degradation of the anti-proliferative protein Tob

Tob belongs to the anti-proliferative Tob/BTG family. The level of Tob throughout the cell cycle is regulated by the SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box protein)^Skp2 ubiquitin ligase (E3) complex. Here, we show that Coronin7 (CRN7) is also involved in Tob degradation. We identified CRN7 as a Tob-interacting molecule. A sequence containing two of the six WD motifs in the middle of CRN7 was responsible for the interaction. CRN7 enhanced the polyubiquitination of Tob in vitro, and overexpression of CRN7 promoted proteasome-dependent degradation of Tob. Furthermore, CRN7 interacted with Cullin1 and Roc1 to form a novel SCF-like E3 complex, suggesting that Tob protein is regulated by multiple ubiquitination machineries.

Structured summary

Cullin1physically interacts with CRN7: shown by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (view interaction)Roc1physically interacts with CRN7: shown by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (view interaction)CRN7physically interacts with Tob1: shown by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (view interaction)CDC34physically interacts with CRN7: shown by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (view interaction)Tob1 and CRN7colocalize: shown by fluorescence microscopy (view interaction)Elongin Bphysically interacts with CRN7: shown by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (view interaction)Elongin Cphysically interacts with CRN7: shown by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (view interaction)Tob1physically interacts with CRN7: shown by two hybrid (view interaction)     

Evaluation of a diffusion-driven mechanism for substrate ubiquitination by the SCF-Cdc34 ubiquitin ligase complex

Release of ubiquitin-charged Cdc34 from the SCF ubiquitin ligase followed by diffusion-driven collision with substrate has been proposed to underlie ubiquitination of the canonical SCF substrate Sic1. Cdc34 F72V, reported to be defective in dissociation from SCF, served as key validation. Here, we test predictions of this "hit-and-run" hypothesis. We find that Cdc34 F72V is generally defective in SCF-mediated activation but, contrary to expectation, does not compete with wild-type Cdc34 in vitro or in vivo and can fulfill the physiological role of Cdc34 with only moderate delay in Sic1 turnover. Whereas a hit-and-run mechanism might explain how Cdc34 can transfer ubiquitin to the ends of growing ubiquitin chains on SCF-bound substrates, molecular modeling suggests that an E2 docked to SCF can do so without dissociating. We propose that interactions between Cdc34 approximately Ub and SCF directly activate ubiquitin transfer within a substrate-SCF-Cdc34 approximately Ub ternary complex.     

Mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase MARCH5 promotes TLR7 signaling by attenuating TANK action

The signaling of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is the host's first line of defense against microbial invasion. The mitochondrion is emerging as a critical platform for antiviral signal transduction. The regulatory role of mitochondria for TLR signaling remains to be explored. Here, we show that the mitochondrial outer-membrane protein MARCH5 positively regulates TLR7 signaling. Ectopic expression or knockdown of MARCH5 enhances or impairs NF-κB-mediated gene expression, respectively. MARCH5 interacts specifically with TANK, and this interaction is enhanced by R837 stimulation. MARCH5 catalyzes the K63-linked poly-ubiquitination of TANK on its Lysines 229, 233, 280, 302 and 306, thus impairing the ability of TANK to inhibit TRAF6. Mislocalization of MARCH5 abolishes its action on TANK, revealing the critical role of mitochondria in modulating innate immunity. Arguably, this represents the first study linking mitochondria to TLR signaling.     

Dissecting the function of Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase complex genes in planarian regeneration

The ubiquitin system plays a role in nearly every aspect of eukaryotic cell biology. The enzymes responsible for transferring ubiquitin onto specific substrates are the E3 ubiquitin ligases, a large and diverse family of proteins, for which biological roles and target substrates remain largely undefined. Studies using model organisms indicate that ubiquitin signaling mediates key steps in developmental processes and tissue regeneration. Here, we used the freshwater planarian, Schmidtea mediterranea, to investigate the role of Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL) complexes in stem cell regulation during regeneration. We identified six S. mediterranea cullin genes, and used RNAi to uncover roles for homologs of Cullin-1, ?3 and ?4 in planarian regeneration. The cullin-1 RNAi phenotype included defects in blastema formation, organ regeneration, lesions, and lysis. To further investigate the function of cullin-1-mediated cellular processes in planarians, we examined genes encoding the adaptor protein Skp1 and F-box substrate-recognition proteins that are predicted to partner with Cullin-1. RNAi against skp1 resulted in phenotypes similar to cullin-1 RNAi, and an RNAi screen of the F-box genes identified 19 genes that recapitulated aspects of cullin-1 RNAi, including ones that in mammals are involved in stem cell regulation and cancer biology. Our data provides evidence that CRLs play discrete roles in regenerative processes and provide a platform to investigate how CRLs regulate stem cells in vivo.     

Substrate-specific regulation of ubiquitination by the anaphase-promoting complex

By orchestrating the sequential degradation of a large number of cell cycle regulators, the ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C) is essential for proliferation in all eukaryotes. The correct timing of APC/C-dependent substrate degradation, a critical feature of progression through mitosis, was long known to be controlled by mechanisms targeting the core APC/C-machinery. Recent experiments, however have revealed an important contribution of substrate-specific regulation of the APC/C to achieve accurate cell division. In this perspective, we describe different mechanisms of substrate-specific APC/C-regulation and discuss their importance for cell division.Key words: ubiquitin, proteasome, anaphase-promoting complex, spindle assembly factors, degradation     

Selective recruitment of an E2~ubiquitin complex by an E3 ubiquitin ligase

RING E3 ligases are proteins that must selectively recruit an E2-conjugating enzyme and facilitate ubiquitin transfer to a substrate. It is not clear how a RING E3 ligase differentiates a naked E2 enzyme from the E2∼ubiquitin-conjugated form or how this is altered upon ubiquitin transfer. RING-box protein 1 (Rbx1/ROC1) is a key protein found in the Skp1/Cullin-1/F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex that functions with the E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme CDC34. The solution structure of Rbx1/ROC1 revealed a globular RING domain (residues 40–108) stabilized by three structural zinc ions (root mean square deviation 0.30 ± 0.04 Å) along with a disordered N terminus (residues 12–39). Titration data showed that Rbx1/ROC1 preferentially recruits CDC34 in its ubiquitin-conjugated form and favors this interaction by 50-fold compared with unconjugated CDC34. Furthermore, NMR and biochemical assays identified residues in helix α2 of Rbx1/ROC1 that are essential for binding and activating CDC34∼ubiquitin for ubiquitylation. Taken together, this work provides the first direct structural and biochemical evidence showing that polyubiquitylation by the RING E3 ligase Rbx1/ROC1 requires the preferential recruitment of an E2∼ubiquitin complex and subsequent release of the unconjugated E2 protein upon ubiquitin transfer to a substrate or ubiquitin chain.     

Control of mitotic transitions by the anaphase-promoting complex

Proteolysis controls key transitions at several points in the cell cycle. In mitosis, the activation of a large ubiquitin-protein ligase, the anaphase-promoting complex (APC), is required for anaphase initiation and for exit from mitosis. We show that APC is under complex control by a network of regulatory factors, CDC20, CDH1 and MAD2. CDC20 and CDH1 are activators of APC; they bind directly to APC and activate its cyclin ubiquitination activity. CDC20 activates APC at the onset of anaphase in a destruction box (DB)-dependent manner, while CDH1 activates APC from late anaphase through G1 with apparently a much relaxed specificity for the DB. Therefore, CDC20 and CDH1 control both the temporal order of activation and the substrate specificity of APC, and hence regulate different events during mitosis and G1. Counteracting the effect of CDC20, the checkpoint protein MAD2 acts as an inhibitor of APC. When the spindle-assembly checkpoint is activated, MAD2 forms a ternary complex with CDC20 and APC to prevent activation of APC, and thereby arrests cells at prometaphase. Thus, a combination of positive and negative regulators establishes a regulatory circuit of APC, ensuring an ordered progression of events through cell division.     

Nucleolar targeting of the fbw7 ubiquitin ligase by a pseudosubstrate and glycogen synthase kinase 3

E3 ubiquitin ligases catalyze protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and their activity is tightly controlled. One level of regulation involves subcellular localization, and the Fbw7 tumor suppressor exemplifies this type of control. Fbw7 is the substrate-binding component of an SCF ubiquitin ligase that degrades critical oncoproteins. Alternative splicing produces three Fbw7 protein isoforms that occupy distinct compartments: Fbw7α is nucleoplasmic, Fbw7β is cytoplasmic, and Fbw7γ is nucleolar. We found that cancer-associated Fbw7 mutations that disrupt substrate binding prevent Fbw7γ nucleolar localization, implicating a substrate-like interaction in nucleolar targeting. We identified EBNA1-binding protein 2 (Ebp2) as the critical nucleolar factor that directly mediates Fbw7 nucleolar targeting. Ebp2 binds to Fbw7 like a substrate, and this is mediated by an Ebp2 degron that is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase 3. However, despite these canonical substrate-like interactions, Fbw7 binding is largely uncoupled from Ebp2 turnover in vivo. Ebp2 thus acts like a pseudosubstrate that directly recruits Fbw7 to nucleoli.