Characterization of the role of COP9 signalosome in regulating cullin E3 ubiquitin ligase activity

Cullin RING ligases (CRLs) are the largest family of cellular E3 ubiquitin ligases and mediate polyubiquitination of a number of cellular substrates. CRLs are activated via the covalent modification of the cullin protein with the ubiquitin-like protein Nedd8. This results in a conformational change in the cullin carboxy terminus that facilitates the ubiquitin transfer onto the substrate. COP9 signalosome (CSN)-mediated cullin deneddylation is essential for CRL activity in vivo. However, the mechanism through which CSN promotes CRL activity in vivo is currently unclear. In this paper, we provide evidence that cullin deneddylation is not intrinsically coupled to substrate polyubiquitination as part of the CRL activation cycle. Furthermore, inhibiting substrate-receptor autoubiquitination is unlikely to account for the major mechanism through which CSN regulates CRL activity. CSN also did not affect recruitment of the substrate-receptor SPOP to Cul3, suggesting it may not function to facilitate the exchange of Cul3 substrate receptors. Our results indicate that CSN binds preferentially to CRLs in the neddylation-induced, active conformation. Binding of the CSN complex to active CRLs may recruit CSN-associated proteins important for CRL regulation. The deneddylating activity of CSN would subsequently promote its own dissociation to allow progression through the CRL activation cycle.     

COP9 signalosome revisited: a novel mediator of protein degradation

The COP9 signalosome is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex that was first identified as an essential complex that represses light-regulated development in Arabidopsis. The COP9 signalosome has similarity to the lid of the 19S regulatory particle of the 26S proteasome and has recently been shown to interact with SCF-type E3 ubiquitin ligases. Although its precise role in the process of protein degradation remains to be established, the COP9 signalosome is a positive regulator of E3 ubiquitin ligases that functions at least in part by mediating the deconjugation of the NEDD8/RUB-modification from the cullin subunit of SCF-type E3 complexes. Here, we discuss these recent findings, which add an additional component to the biology of substrate-specific protein degradation.     

Roles of COP9 signalosome in cancer

The constitutive photomorphogenesis 9 signalosome (COP9 or CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex found in plants and animals. Because of the homology between the COP9 signalosome and the 19S lid complex of the proteosome, COP9 has been postulated to play a role in regulating the degradation of polyubiquitinated proteins. Many tumor suppressor and oncogene products are regulated by ubiquitination- and proteosome-mediated protein degradation. Therefore, it is conceivable that COP9 plays a significant role in cancer, regulating processes relevant to carcinogenesis and cancer progression (e.g., cell cycle control, signal transduction and apoptosis). In mammalian cells, it consists of eight subunits (CSN1 to CSN8). The relevance and importance of some subunits of COP9 to cancer are emerging. However, the mechanistic regulation of each subunit in cancer remains unclear. Among the CSN subunits, CSN5 and CSN6 are the only two that each contain an MPN (Mpr1p and Pad1p N-terminal) domain. The deneddylation activity of an MPN domain toward cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRL) may coordinate CRL-mediated ubiquitination activity. More recent evidence shows that CSN5 and CSN6 are implicated in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of important mediators in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Here, we discuss the mechanisms by which some CSN subunits are involved in cancer to provide a much needed perspective regarding COP9 in cancer research, hoping that these insights will lay the groundwork for cancer intervention.     

Roles of COP9 signalosome in cancer

The constitutive photomorphogenesis 9 signalosome (COP9 or CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex found in plants and animals. Because of the homology between the COP9 signalosome and the 19S lid complex of the proteosome, COP9 has been postulated to play a role in regulating the degradation of polyubiquitinated proteins. Many tumor suppressor and oncogene products are regulated by ubiquitination- and proteosome-mediated protein degradation. Therefore, it is conceivable that COP9 plays a significant role in cancer, regulating processes relevant to carcinogenesis and cancer progression (e.g., cell cycle control, signal transduction and apoptosis). In mammalian cells, it consists of eight subunits (CSN1 to CSN8). The relevance and importance of some subunits of COP9 to cancer are emerging. However, the mechanistic regulation of each subunit in cancer remains unclear. Among the CSN subunits, CSN5 and CSN6 are the only two that each contain an MPN (Mpr1p and Pad1p N-terminal) domain. The deneddylation activity of an MPN domain toward cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRL) may coordinate CRL-mediated ubiquitination activity. More recent evidence shows that CSN5 and CSN6 are implicated in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of important mediators in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Here, we discuss the mechanisms by which some CSN subunits are involved in cancer to provide a much needed perspective regarding COP9 in cancer research, hoping that these insights will lay the groundwork for cancer intervention.Key words: ubiquitination, CSN, COP9 signalosome, Mdm2, p53, cancer, MPN domain, neddylation, Nedd8, cullin     

The COP9 signalosome promotes degradation of Cyclin E during early Drosophila oogenesis

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an eight-subunit complex that regulates multiple signaling and cell cycle pathways. Here we link the CSN to the degradation of Cyclin E, which promotes the G1-S transition in the cell cycle and then is rapidly degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Using CSN4 and CSN5/Jab1 mutants, we show that the CSN acts during Drosophila oogenesis to remove Nedd8 from Cullin1, a subunit of the SCF ubiquitin ligase. Overexpression of Cyclin E causes similar defects as mutations in CSN or SCF(Ago) subunits: extra divisions or, in contrast, cell cycle arrest and polyploidy. Because the phenotypes are so similar and because CSN and Cyclin E mutations reciprocally suppress each other, Cyclin E appears to be the major target of the CSN during early oogenesis. Genetic interactions among CSN, SCF, and proteasome subunits further confirm CSN involvement in ubiquitin-mediated Cyclin E degradation.     

COP9 signalosome: Discovery,conservation, activity,and function

The COP9 signalosome(CSN)is a conserved protein complex,typically composed of eight subunits(designated as CSN1 to CSN8)in higher eukaryotes such as plants and animals,but of fewer subunits in some lower eukaryotes such as yeasts.The CSN complex is originally identified in plants from a genetic screen for mutants that mimic light-induced photomorphogenic development when grown in the dark.The CSN complex regulates the activity of cullin-RING ligase(CRL)families of E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes,and play critical roles in regulating gene expression,cell proliferation,and cell cycle.This review aims to summarize the discovery,composition,structure,and function of CSN in the regulation of plant development in response to external(light and temperature)and internal cues(phytohormones).     

Hepatopoietin interacts directly with COP9 signalosome and regulates AP-1 activity

Hepatopoietin (HPO)/augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) is a specific hepatotrophic growth factor, which plays a key role in liver regeneration. Our previous study indicated that HPO executes its function by an inter-reactive network of the autocrine, paracrine and endocrine pathways. Recently, we have demonstrated that intracellular HPO interacts with Jun activation domain-binding protein 1 (JAB1) and leads to potentiation of activating protein-1 (AP-1) activity in a MAPK independent fashion. JAB1 is the fifth subunit of the COP9 signalosome (CSN), which is first identified as a suppressor of plant morphogenesis. A protein complex kinase activity associated with the CSN has been reported but not identified yet. In this report, we investigated further the association of HPO with the whole CSN. HPO exists in a complex with the eight-component CSN, both when purified from glycerol gradient centrifugation and when reciprocal immunoprecipitated from the lysates of transfected COS-7 cells. Intracellular HPO colocalizes with endogenous CSN in nucleus of hepatic cells. In addition, intracellular function of HPO that increases the phosphorylation of c-Jun leading to potentiate the AP-1 activity is inhibited by curcumin, a potent inhibitor of CSN-associated kinase. Taken together, these results elucidate a novel relationship of intracellular growth factor, HPO with large protein complex, CSN, which suggests a possible linkage between CSN and liver regeneration.     

The COP9 signalosome: from light signaling to general developmental regulation and back

The COP9 signalosome has eight core subunits that are highly conserved between plants and animals. Some of the subunits in Arabidopsis are found in forms that are independent of the complex. The COP9 complex is essential for animal development. The COP9 signalosome may have both an evolutionary and a physical relationship with both the regulatory lid of the proteasome and eIF3.     

Regulation of the anaphase-promoting complex by the COP9 signalosome

The COP9 complex (signalosome) is a known regulator of the proteasome/ubiquitin pathway. Furthermore it regulates the activity of the cullin-RING ligase (CRL) families of ubiquitin E3-complexes. Besides the CRL family, the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C) is a major regulator of the cell cycle. To investigate a possible connection between both complexes we assessed interacting partners of COP9 using an in vivo protein-protein interaction assay. Hereby, we were able to show for the first time that CSN2, a subunit of the COP9 signalosome, interacts physically with APC/C. Furthermore, we detected a functional influence of the COP9 complex regarding the stability of several targets of the APC/C. Consistent with these data we showed a genetic instability of cells over-expressing CSN2.     

Activation of MPF at meiosis reinitiation in starfish oocytes.

Although maturation or M-phase-promoting factor (MPF) was originally identified as a cytoplasmic activity responsible for induction of maturation or meiosis reinitiation in oocytes, MPF is now thought to be the universal trigger of G2/M-phase transition in all eukaryotic cells, and its activity is ascribed to cyclin B. Cdc2 kinase. Here, the activation process of cyclin B. Cdc2 at meiosis reinitiation in starfish oocytes is compared with that at G2/M-phase transition in mitotic somatic cells. Based on this comparison, the role of cyclin B. Cdc2 in the original cytoplasmic MPF activity is reexamined.     

The COP9 signalosome and its role in plant development

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex with a role in the regulation of cullin-RING type E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs). CSN exerts its function on E3 ligases by deconjugating the ubiquitin-related protein NEDD8 from the CRL cullin subunit. Thereby, CSN has an impact on multiple CRL-dependent processes. In recent years, advances have been made in understanding the structural organisation and biochemical function of CSN: Crystal structure analysis and mass spectrometry-assisted studies have come up with first models of the pair-wise and complex interactions of the 8 CSN subunits. Based on the analysis of mutant phenotypes, it can now be taken as an accepted fact that – at least in plants –the major biochemical function of CSN resides in its deneddylation activity, which is mediated by CSN subunit 5 (CSN5). Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that CSN function and deneddylation are required but not essential for CRL-mediated processes, and models for the role of neddylation and deneddylation in controlling CRL activity are emerging. Significant advances have also been made in identifying pathways that are growth restricting in the Arabidopsis csn mutants. Recently it has been shown that a G2 phase arrest, possibly due to genomic instability, restricts growth in Arabidopsis csn mutants. This review provides an update on recent advances in understanding CSN structure and function and summarises the current knowledge on its role in plant development and cell cycle progression.     

CAND1 enhances deneddylation of CUL1 by COP9 signalosome

Cullin-RING ligases (CRLs) regulate diverse cellular functions such as cell cycle progression and cytokine signaling by ubiquitinating key regulatory proteins. The activity of CRLs is controlled by Nedd8 modification of the cullin subunits. Recent reports have suggested that CAND1, which specifically binds to unmodified CUL1 but not to neddylated one, is required for the in vivo function of SCFs, the CUL1-containing CRLs. We show here that CAND1 and COP9 signalosome (CSN), the major deneddylase of cullins, bind to unneddylated CUL1 in a mutually exclusive way. The suppression of CAND1 expression by small inhibitory RNA enhanced the interaction between CUL1 and CSN, suggesting that CAND1 inhibited the binding of CSN to CUL1. We found that the binding of CSN to CUL1 required the four helix bundle in CUL1 C-terminal domain, which was wrapped around by CAND1 in the CAND1-CUL1-Rbx1 complex. CAND1 greatly facilitated CSN-mediated deneddylation of CUL1 in vitro, which was dependent on its binding to CUL1. Our data suggest that enhancement of CSN-mediated deneddylation by CAND1 may contribute to its function as a positive regulator of SCFs in vivo.     

Conservation of the COP9/signalosome in budding yeast

Background

Variation at the PPARG locus may influence susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and related traits. The Pro12Ala polymorphism may modulate receptor activity and is associated with protection from type 2 diabetes. However, there have been inconsistent reports of its association with obesity. The silent C1431T polymorphism has not been as extensively studied, but the rare T allele has also been inconsistently linked to increases in weight. Both rare alleles are in linkage disequilibrium and the independent associations of these two polymorphisms have not been addressed.

Results

We have genotyped a large population with type 2 diabetes (n = 1107), two populations of non-diabetics from Glasgow (n = 186) and Dundee (n = 254) and also a healthy group undergoing physical training (n = 148) and investigated the association of genotype with body mass index. This analysis has demonstrated that the Ala12 and T1431 alleles are present together in approximately 70% of the carriers. By considering the other 30% of individuals with haplotypes that only carry one of these polymorphisms, we have demonstrated that the Ala12 allele is consistently associated with a lower BMI, whilst the T1431 allele is consistently associated with higher BMI.

Conclusion

This study has therefore revealed an opposing interaction of these polymorphisms, which may help to explain previous inconsistencies in the association of PPARG polymorphisms and body weight.     

Consequences of COP9 signalosome and 26S proteasome interaction

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) occurs in all eukaryotic cells. It is a regulatory particle of the ubiquitin (Ub)/26S proteasome system. The eight subunits of the CSN possess sequence homologies with the polypeptides of the 26S proteasome lid complex and just like the lid, the CSN consists of six subunits with PCI (proteasome, COP9 signalosome, initiation factor 3) domains and two components with MPN (Mpr-Pad1-N-terminal) domains. Here we show that the CSN directly interacts with the 26S proteasome and competes with the lid, which has consequences for the peptidase activity of the 26S proteasome in vitro. Flag-CSN2 was permanently expressed in mouse B8 fibroblasts and Flag pull-down experiments revealed the formation of an intact Flag-CSN complex, which is associated with the 26S proteasome. In addition, the Flag pull-downs also precipitated cullins indicating the existence of super-complexes consisting of the CSN, the 26S proteasome and cullin-based Ub ligases. Permanent expression of a chimerical subunit (Flag-CSN2-Rpn6) consisting of the N-terminal 343 amino acids of CSN2 and of the PCI domain of S9/Rpn6, the paralog of CSN2 in the lid complex, did not lead to the assembly of an intact complex showing that the PCI domain of CSN2 is important for complex formation. The consequence of permanent Flag-CSN2 overexpression was de-novo assembly of the CSN complex connected with an accelerated degradation of p53 and stabilization of c-Jun in B8 cells. The possible role of super-complexes composed of the CSN, the 26S proteasome and of Ub ligases in the regulation of protein stability is discussed.     

The emerging role of the COP9 signalosome in cancer

In the last several years, multiple lines of evidence have suggested that the COP9 signalosome (CSN) plays a significant role in the regulation of multiple cancers and could be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. First, the CSN plays a key role in the regulation of Cullin-containing ubiquitin E3 ligases that are central mediators of a variety of cellular functions essential during cancer progression. Second, several studies suggest that the individual subunits of the CSN, particularly CSN5, might regulate oncogenic and tumor suppressive functions independently of, or coordinately with, the CSN holocomplex. Thus, deregulation of CSN subunit function can have a dramatic effect on diverse cellular functions, including the maintenance of DNA fidelity, cell cycle control, DNA repair, angiogenesis, and microenvironmental homeostasis that are critical for tumor development. Additionally, clinical studies have suggested that the expression or localization of some CSN subunits correlate to disease progression or clinical outcome in a variety of tumor types. Although the study of CSN function in relation to tumor progression is in its infancy, this review will address current studies in relation to cancer initiation, progression, and potential for therapeutic intervention.     

Regulation of COP1 nuclear localization by the COP9 signalosome via direct interaction with CSN1

COP1 and COP9 signalosome (CSN) are key regulators of plant light responses and development. Deficiency in either COP1 or CSN causes a constitutive photomorphogenic phenotype. Through coordinated actions of nuclear- and cytoplasmic-localization signals, COP1 can respond to light signals by differentially partitions between nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. Previous genetic analysis in Arabidopsis indicated that the nuclear localization of COP1 requires CSN, an eight-subunit heteromeric complex. However the mechanism underlying the functional relationship between COP1 and CSN is unknown. We report here that COP1 weakly associates with CSN in vivo . Furthermore, we report on the direct interaction involving the coiled-coil domain of COP1 and the N-terminal domain of the CSN1 subunit. In onion epidermal cells, expression of CSN1 can stimulate nuclear localization of GUS-COP1, and the N-terminal domain of CSN1 is necessary and sufficient for this function. Moreover, CSN1-induced COP1 nuclear localization requires the nuclear-localization sequences of COP1, as well as its coiled-coil domain, which contains both the cytoplasmic localization sequences and the CSN1 interacting domain. We also provide genetic evidence that the CSN1 N-terminal domain is specifically required for COP1 nuclear localization in Arabidopsis hypocotyl cells. This study advances our understanding of COP1 localization, and the molecular interactions between COP1 and CSN.