Targeting Ferroptosis by Ubiquitin System Enzymes: A Potential Therapeutic Strategy in Cancer

Ferroptosis is a novel type of regulated cell death driven by the excessive accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Therapy-resistant tumor cells, particularly those in the mesenchymal-like state and prone to metastasis, are highly susceptible to ferroptosis, suggesting that induction of ferroptosis in tumor cells is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Although ferroptosis is regulated at various levels, ubiquitination is key to post-translational regulation of ferroptotic cell death. E3 ubiquitin ligases (E3s) and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) are the most remarkable ubiquitin system enzymes, whose dysregulation accounts for the progression of multiple cancers. E3s are involved in the attachment of ubiquitin to substrates for their degradation, and this process is reversed by DUBs. Accumulating evidence has highlighted the important role of ubiquitin system enzymes in regulating the sensitivity of ferroptosis. Herein, we will portray the regulatory networks of ferroptosis mediated by E3s or DUBs and discuss opportunities and challenges for incorporating this regulation into cancer therapy.     

Regulation of proteolysis by human deubiquitinating enzymes

The post-translational attachment of one or several ubiquitin molecules to a protein generates a variety of targeting signals that are used in many different ways in the cell. Ubiquitination can alter the activity, localization, protein–protein interactions or stability of the targeted protein. Further, a very large number of proteins are subject to regulation by ubiquitin-dependent processes, meaning that virtually all cellular functions are impacted by these pathways. Nearly a hundred enzymes from five different gene families (the deubiquitinating enzymes or DUBs), reverse this modification by hydrolyzing the (iso)peptide bond tethering ubiquitin to itself or the target protein. Four of these families are thiol proteases and one is a metalloprotease. DUBs of the Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase (UCH) family act on small molecule adducts of ubiquitin, process the ubiquitin proprotein, and trim ubiquitin from the distal end of a polyubiquitin chain. Ubiquitin Specific Proteases (USPs) tend to recognize and encounter their substrates by interaction of the variable regions of their sequence with the substrate protein directly, or with scaffolds or substrate adapters in multiprotein complexes. Ovarian Tumor (OTU) domain DUBs show remarkable specificity for different Ub chain linkages and may have evolved to recognize substrates on the basis of those linkages. The Josephin family of DUBs may specialize in distinguishing between polyubiquitin chains of different lengths. Finally, the JAB1/MPN +/MOV34 (JAMM) domain metalloproteases cleave the isopeptide bond near the attachment point of polyubiquitin and substrate, as well as being highly specific for the K63 poly-Ub linkage. These DUBs regulate proteolysis by: directly interacting with and co-regulating E3 ligases; altering the level of substrate ubiquitination; hydrolyzing or remodeling ubiquitinated and poly-ubiquitinated substrates; acting in specific locations in the cell and altering the localization of the target protein; and acting on proteasome bound substrates to facilitate or inhibit proteolysis. Thus, the scope and regulation of the ubiquitin pathway is very similar to that of phosphorylation, with the DUBs serving the same functions as the phosphatase. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Ubiquitin–Proteasome System. Guest Editors: Thomas Sommer and Dieter H. Wolf.     

Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs): Regulation,homeostasis, and oxidative stress response

Ubiquitin signaling is a conserved, widespread, and dynamic process in which protein substrates are rapidly modified by ubiquitin to impact protein activity, localization, or stability. To regulate this process, deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) counter the signal induced by ubiquitin conjugases and ligases by removing ubiquitin from these substrates. Many DUBs selectively regulate physiological pathways employing conserved mechanisms of ubiquitin bond cleavage. DUB activity is highly regulated in dynamic environments through protein–protein interaction, posttranslational modification, and relocalization. The largest family of DUBs, cysteine proteases, are also sensitive to regulation by oxidative stress, as reactive oxygen species (ROS) directly modify the catalytic cysteine required for their enzymatic activity. Current research has implicated DUB activity in human diseases, including various cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Due to their selectivity and functional roles, DUBs have become important targets for therapeutic development to treat these conditions. This review will discuss the main classes of DUBs and their regulatory mechanisms with a particular focus on DUB redox regulation and its physiological impact during oxidative stress.     

Mechanisms orchestrating the enzymatic activity and cellular functions of deubiquitinases

Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are required for the reverse reaction of ubiquitination and act as major regulators of ubiquitin signaling processes. Emerging evidence suggests that these enzymes are regulated at multiple levels in order to ensure proper and timely substrate targeting and to prevent the adverse consequences of promiscuous deubiquitination. The importance of DUB regulation is highlighted by disease-associated mutations that inhibit or activate DUBs, deregulating their ability to coordinate cellular processes. Here, we describe the diverse mechanisms governing protein stability, enzymatic activity, and function of DUBs. In particular, we outline how DUBs are regulated by their protein domains and interacting partners. Intramolecular interactions can promote protein stability of DUBs, influence their subcellular localization, and/or modulate their enzymatic activity. Remarkably, these intramolecular interactions can induce self-deubiquitination to counteract DUB ubiquitination by cognate E3 ubiquitin ligases. In addition to intramolecular interactions, DUBs can also oligomerize and interact with a wide variety of cellular proteins, thereby forming obligate or facultative complexes that regulate their enzymatic activity and function. The importance of signaling and post-translational modifications in the integrated control of DUB function will also be discussed. While several DUBs are described with respect to the multiple layers of their regulation, the tumor suppressor BAP1 will be outlined as a model enzyme whose localization, stability, enzymatic activity, and substrate recognition are highly orchestrated by interacting partners and post-translational modifications.     

Riding the DUBway: regulation of protein trafficking by deubiquitylating enzymes

Ubiquitylation is a key regulator of protein trafficking, and much about the functions of ubiquitin ligases, which add ubiquitin to substrates in this regulation, has recently come to light. However, a clear understanding of ubiquitin-dependent protein localization cannot be achieved without knowledge of the role of deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs). DUBs, by definition, function downstream in ubiquitin pathways and, as such, have the potential to be the final editors of protein ubiquitylation status, thus determining substrate fate. This paper assimilates the current evidence concerning the substrates and activities of DUBs that regulate protein trafficking.     

Ube2w and ataxin-3 coordinately regulate the ubiquitin ligase CHIP

The mechanisms by which ubiquitin ligases are regulated remain poorly understood. Here we describe a series of molecular events that coordinately regulate CHIP, a neuroprotective E3 implicated in protein quality control. Through their opposing activities, the initiator E2, Ube2w, and the specialized deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB), ataxin-3, participate in initiating, regulating, and terminating the CHIP ubiquitination cycle. Monoubiquitination of CHIP by Ube2w stabilizes the interaction between CHIP and ataxin-3, which through its DUB activity limits the length of chains attached to CHIP substrates. Upon completion of substrate ubiquitination, ataxin-3 deubiquitinates CHIP, effectively terminating the reaction. Our results suggest that functional pairing of E3s with ataxin-3 or?similar DUBs represents an important point of regulation in ubiquitin-dependent protein quality control. In?addition, the results shed light on disease pathogenesis in SCA3, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by polyglutamine expansion in ataxin-3.     

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。     

去泛素化酶与肿瘤

泛素化修饰(ubiquitination modification)广泛存在于真核生物,通过26S蛋白酶体降解途径或信号传递等,改变蛋白质稳定性、定位和活性等功能,参与细胞的周期、转录、炎症、肿瘤和免疫等各项功能,是一类复杂的动态调控系统.泛素化调节是一个可逆过程,被泛素连接酶(ubiquitin ligase,E3)...     

A microarray of ubiquitylated proteins for profiling deubiquitylase activity reveals the critical roles of both chain and substrate

Substrate ubiquitylation is a reversible process critical to cellular homeostasis that is often dysregulated in many human pathologies including cancer and neurodegeneration. Elucidating the mechanistic details of this pathway could unlock a large store of information useful to the design of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Proteomic approaches to the questions at hand have generally utilized mass spectrometry (MS), which has been successful in identifying both ubiquitylation substrates and profiling pan-cellular chain linkages, but is generally unable to connect the two. Interacting partners of the deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) have also been reported by MS, although substrates of catalytically competent DUBs generally cannot be. Where they have been used towards the study of ubiquitylation, protein microarrays have usually functioned as platforms for the identification of substrates for specific E3 ubiquitin ligases. Here, we report on the first use of protein microarrays to identify substrates of DUBs, and in so doing demonstrate the first example of microarray proteomics involving multiple (i.e., distinct, sequential and opposing) enzymatic activities. This technique demonstrates the selectivity of DUBs for both substrate and type (mono- versus poly-) of ubiquitylation. This work shows that the vast majority of DUBs are monoubiquitylated in vitro, and are incapable of removing this modification from themselves. This work also underscores the critical role of utilizing both ubiquitin chains and substrates when attempting to characterize DUBs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Ubiquitin Drug Discovery and Diagnostics.     

Mechanism and function of deubiquitinating enzymes

Attachment of ubiquitin to proteins is a crucial step in many cellular regulatory mechanisms and contributes to numerous biological processes, including embryonic development, the cell cycle, growth control, and prevention of neurodegeneration. In these diverse regulatory settings, the most widespread mechanism of ubiquitin action is probably in the context of protein degradation. Polyubiquitin attachment targets many intracellular proteins for degradation by the proteasome, and (mono)ubiquitination is often required for down-regulating plasma membrane proteins by targeting them to the vacuole (lysosome). Ubiquitin-protein conjugates are highly dynamic structures. While an array of enzymes directs the conjugation of ubiquitin to substrates, there are also dozens of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) that can reverse the process. Several lines of evidence indicate that DUBs are important regulators of the ubiquitin system. These enzymes are responsible for processing inactive ubiquitin precursors, proofreading ubiquitin-protein conjugates, removing ubiquitin from cellular adducts, and keeping the 26S proteasome free of inhibitory ubiquitin chains. The present review focuses on recent discoveries that have led to a better understanding the mechanisms and physiological roles of this diverse and still poorly understood group of enzymes. We also discuss briefly some of the proteases that act on ubiquitin-like protein (UBL) conjugates and compare them to DUBs.     

Survey of the phosphorylation status of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) family

Ubiquitination plays a role in virtually every cellular signaling pathway ranging from cell cycle control to DNA damage response to endocytosis and gene regulation. The bulk of our knowledge of the ubiquitination system is centered on modification of specific substrate proteins and the enzymatic cascade of ubiquitination. Our understanding of the regulation of the reversal of these modifications (deubiquitination) lags significantly behind. We recently reported a multifaceted study of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe DUBs including characterization of their binding partners, in vitro enzymatic activity and subcellular localization. (1) Over half of the 20 fission yeast DUBs have a stable protein partner and some of those partners regulate the localization and/or activity of their cognate DUB. As a next step in understanding how DUBs might otherwise be regulated, we investigated the phosphostatus of the entire fission yeast DUB family using LC-MS/MS, and here we discuss the possible implications of phosphoregulation.     

A Global Census of Fission Yeast Deubiquitinating Enzyme Localization and Interaction Networks Reveals Distinct Compartmentalization Profiles and Overlapping Functions in Endocytosis and Polarity

Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are reciprocal processes that tune protein stability, function, and/or localization. The removal of ubiquitin and remodeling of ubiquitin chains is catalyzed by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), which are cysteine proteases or metalloproteases. Although ubiquitination has been extensively studied for decades, the complexity of cellular roles for deubiquitinating enzymes has only recently been explored, and there are still several gaps in our understanding of when, where, and how these enzymes function to modulate the fate of polypeptides. To address these questions we performed a systematic analysis of the 20 Schizosaccharomyces pombe DUBs using confocal microscopy, proteomics, and enzymatic activity assays. Our results reveal that S. pombe DUBs are present in almost all cell compartments, and the majority are part of stable protein complexes essential for their function. Interestingly, DUB partners identified by our study include the homolog of a putative tumor suppressor gene not previously linked to the ubiquitin pathway, and two conserved tryptophan-aspartate (WD) repeat proteins that regulate Ubp9, a DUB that we show participates in endocytosis, actin dynamics, and cell polarity. In order to understand how DUB activity affects these processes we constructed multiple DUB mutants and find that a quintuple deletion of ubp4 ubp5 ubp9 ubp15 sst2/amsh displays severe growth, polarity, and endocytosis defects. This mutant allowed the identification of two common substrates for five cytoplasmic DUBs. Through these studies, a common regulatory theme emerged in which DUB localization and/or activity is modulated by interacting partners. Despite apparently distinct cytoplasmic localization patterns, several DUBs cooperate in regulating endocytosis and cell polarity. These studies provide a framework for dissecting DUB signaling pathways in S. pombe and may shed light on DUB functions in metazoans.     

A Comparative Analysis of the Ubiquitination Kinetics of Multiple Degrons to Identify an Ideal Targeting Sequence for a Proteasome Reporter

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is the primary pathway responsible for the recognition and degradation of misfolded, damaged, or tightly regulated proteins. The conjugation of a polyubiquitin chain, or polyubiquitination, to a target protein requires an increasingly diverse cascade of enzymes culminating with the E3 ubiquitin ligases. Protein recognition by an E3 ligase occurs through a specific sequence of amino acids, termed a degradation sequence or degron. Recently, degrons have been incorporated into novel reporters to monitor proteasome activity; however only a limited few degrons have successfully been incorporated into such reporters. The goal of this work was to evaluate the ubiquitination kinetics of a small library of portable degrons that could eventually be incorporated into novel single cell reporters to assess proteasome activity. After an intensive literary search, eight degrons were identified from proteins recognized by a variety of E3 ubiquitin ligases and incorporated into a four component degron-based substrate to comparatively calculate ubiquitination kinetics. The mechanism of placement of multiple ubiquitins on the different degron-based substrates was assessed by comparing the data to computational models incorporating first order reaction kinetics using either multi-monoubiquitination or polyubiquitination of the degron-based substrates. A subset of three degrons was further characterized to determine the importance of the location and proximity of the ubiquitination site lysine with respect to the degron. Ultimately, this work identified three candidate portable degrons that exhibit a higher rate of ubiquitination compared to peptidase-dependent degradation, a desired trait for a proteasomal targeting motif.     

Deubiquitinases in the regulation of NF-κB signaling

Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is a critical regulator of multiple biological functions including innate and adaptive immunity and cell survival. Activation of NF-κB is tightly regulated to preclude chronic signaling that may lead to persistent inflammation and cancer. Ubiquitination of key signaling molecules by E3 ubiquitin ligases has emerged as an important regulatory mechanism for NF-κB signaling. Deubiquitinases (DUBs) counteract E3 ligases and therefore play a prominent role in the downregulation of NF-κB signaling and homeostasis. Understanding the mechanisms of NF-κB downregulation by specific DUBs such as A20 and CYLD may provide therapeutic opportunities for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer.     

Functional classification of scaffold proteins and related molecules

In this series of four minireviews the field of scaffold proteins and proteins of similar molecular/cellular functions is overviewed. By binding and bringing into proximity two or more signaling proteins, these proteins direct the flow of information in the cell by activating, coordinating and regulating signaling events in regulatory networks. Here we discuss the categories of scaffolds, anchors, docking proteins and adaptors in some detail, and using many examples we demonstrate that they cover a wide range of functional modes that appear to segregate into three practical categories, simple proteins binding two partners together (adaptors), larger multidomain proteins targeting and regulating more proteins in complex ways (scaffold/anchoring proteins) and proteins specialized to initiate signaling cascades by localizing partners at the cell membrane (docking proteins). It will also be shown, however, that the categories partially overlap and often their names are used interchangeably in the literature. In addition, although not usually considered as scaffolds, several other proteins, such as regulatory proteins with catalytic activity, phosphatase targeting subunits, E3 ubiquitin ligases, ESCRT proteins in endosomal sorting and DNA damage sensors also function by bona fide scaffolding mechanisms. Thus, the field is in a state of continuous advance and expansion, which demands that the classification scheme be regularly updated and, if needed, revised.     

In vivo action of the HRD ubiquitin ligase complex: mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum quality control and sterol regulation

Ubiquitination is used to target both normal proteins for specific regulated degradation and misfolded proteins for purposes of quality control destruction. Ubiquitin ligases, or E3 proteins, promote ubiquitination by effecting the specific transfer of ubiquitin from the correct ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, or E2 protein, to the target substrate. Substrate specificity is usually determined by specific sequence determinants, or degrons, in the target substrate that are recognized by the ubiquitin ligase. In quality control, however, a potentially vast collection of proteins with characteristic hallmarks of misfolding or misassembly are targeted with high specificity despite the lack of any sequence similarity between substrates. In order to understand the mechanisms of quality control ubiquitination, we have focused our attention on the first characterized quality control ubiquitin ligase, the HRD complex, which is responsible for the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) of numerous ER-resident proteins. Using an in vivo cross-linking assay, we directly examined the association of the separate HRD complex components with various ERAD substrates. We have discovered that the HRD ubiquitin ligase complex associates with both ERAD substrates and stable proteins, but only mediates ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme association with ERAD substrates. Our studies with the sterol pathway-regulated ERAD substrate Hmg2p, an isozyme of the yeast cholesterol biosynthetic enzyme HMG-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), indicated that the HRD complex discerns between a degradation-competent "misfolded" state and a stable, tightly folded state. Thus, it appears that the physiologically regulated, HRD-dependent degradation of HMGR is effected by a programmed structural transition from a stable protein to a quality control substrate.     

The ubiquitin E3 ligase MARCH7 is differentially regulated by the deubiquitylating enzymes USP7 and USP9X

Protein modification by one or more ubiquitin chains serves a critical signalling function across a wide range of cellular processes. Specificity within this system is conferred by ubiquitin E3 ligases, which target the substrates. Their activity is balanced by deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), which remove ubiquitin from both substrates and ligases. The RING-CH ligases were initially identified as viral immunoevasins involved in the downregulation of immunoreceptors. Their cellular orthologues, the Membrane-Associated RING-CH (MARCH) family represent a subgroup of the classical RING genes. Unlike their viral counterparts, the cellular RING-CH proteins appear highly regulated, and one of these in particular, MARCH7, was of interest because of a potential role in neuronal development and lymphocyte proliferation. Difficulties in detection and expression of this orphan ligase lead us to search for cellular cofactors involved in MARCH7 stability. In this study, we show that MARCH7 readily undergoes autoubiquitylation and associates with two deubiquitylating enzymes – ubiquitin-specific protease (USP)9X in the cytosol and USP7 in the nucleus. Exogenous expression and short interfering RNA depletion experiments demonstrate that MARCH7 can be stabilized by both USP9X and USP7, which deubiquitylate MARCH7 in the cytosol and nucleus, respectively. We therefore demonstrate compartment-specific regulation of this E3 ligase through recruitment of site-specific DUBs.