K27泛素化修饰研究进展

泛素化修饰作为最普遍存在的翻译后修饰形式之一,介导了生物体内蛋白质稳态调控等功能。泛素分子的7个赖氨酸和N端甲硫氨酸可以继续被泛素分子修饰,进而形成8种类型的泛素链。其中,K48和K63泛素链由于丰度高且功能研究相对清楚被称为经典泛素链,而其他6种泛素链被称为非经典泛素链。在非经典泛素链中,K27泛素链是在泛素分子的Lys27 (K27)位点上继续发生泛素化形成的,具有紧密的空间结构。近些年,K27泛素链在固有免疫、蛋白稳态和DNA损伤修复等方面的功能逐渐被报道,但K27泛素链的合成、修剪过程及其下游招募特定蛋白质的分子调控机制还所知甚少。文中结合实验室研究,综述了K27泛素链结构特征、结合方式和生物学功能,为未来K27泛素链结构和生物学功能的深入研究提供参考。     

泛素、泛素链和蛋白质泛素化研究进展

蛋白质泛素化是以泛素单体和泛素链作为信号分子,共价修饰细胞内其他蛋白质的一种翻译后修饰形式。不同蛋白质底物、同一底物的不同氨基酸修饰位点以及同一位点上泛素链连接方式的不同均可导致细胞效应的差异。蛋白质泛素化在真核细胞内广泛存在,除了介导蛋白质的26S蛋白酶体降解途径之外,还广泛参与了基因转录、蛋白质翻译、信号传导、细胞周期控制以及生长发育等几乎所有的生命活动过程。泛素链的形成及其修饰过程的任何失调均可导致生物体内环境的紊乱,从而产生严重的疾病。文中结合实验室研究,综述了泛素的发现历史、基因特点、晶体结构,特别是泛素链的组装过程、结构、功能以及与人类相关疾病关系的新进展,可为这些疾病的治疗靶点和药物靶标的研究提供思路。     

组蛋白的泛素化与去泛素化修饰

泛素在真核生物体内广泛存在,泛素化修饰是转录后的修饰方式之一;组蛋白是染色质的主要成分之一,与基因的表达有密切关系。组蛋白的泛素化修饰与经典的蛋白质的泛素调节途径不同,不会导致蛋白质的降解,但是能够招募核小体到染色体、参与X染色体的失活、影响组蛋白的甲基化和基因的转录。组蛋白的去泛素化修饰同样与染色质的结构及基因表达密切相关。组蛋白的泛素化和磷酸化、乙酰化、甲基化修饰之间还存在协同和级联效应。     

蛋白质泛素化修饰的生物信息学研究进展

泛素-蛋白酶体系统(Ubiquitin-proteasome system, UPS)介导了真核生物80%~85%的蛋白质降解, 该蛋白质降解途径具有依赖ATP、高效、高度选择性的特点。除参与蛋白质降解之外, 泛素化修饰还可以直接影响蛋白质的活性和定位。由于泛素化修饰底物蛋白在细胞中的广泛存在, 泛素化修饰可以调控包括细胞周期、细胞凋亡、转录调控、DNA损伤修复以及免疫应答等在内的多种细胞活动。近年来, 泛素-蛋白酶体系统相关的蛋白质组学数据不断产出, 有效地管理、组织并合理分析这些数据显得尤为必要。文章综述了当前世界范围内针对蛋白质泛素化修饰展开的生物信息学研究, 总结了前人的工作结果, 包括UPS相关蛋白质数据的收录、泛素化修饰网络的构建和分析、泛素化修饰位点的预测及泛素化修饰motif的研究等方面内容, 并对该领域未来的发展方向进行了讨论。     

RIP1泛素化修饰调控程序性坏死的研究进展

在过去的二十年中,随着对程序性坏死(necroptosis)研究的不断深入,学者们发现多种死亡受体激活可引起程序性坏死,其中研究最为透彻的是肿瘤坏死因子受体1(TNFR1)。在TNFR1激活引起细胞发生程序性坏死的信号转导过程中,细胞内先后形成复合物Ⅰ(complexⅠ)和坏死小体(necrosome)。这2个复合物中都含有一个关键蛋白——受体相互作用蛋白激酶1(RIP1)。复合物Ⅰ中的RIP1存在多种多聚泛素化修饰,且多聚泛素化修饰种类和水平的变化能决定细胞的命运——炎症、凋亡或坏死。此外,坏死小体中的RIP1也存在多聚泛素化修饰。然而,RIP1的泛素化修饰如何调控细胞信号转导和促进坏死小体的形成尚未被完全阐明。该文对RIP1泛素化修饰调控细胞程序性坏死的研究进展进行综述。     

泛素连接酶SMURF1催化ADAR1的多聚泛素化修饰

既往研究发现,SMAD特异性E3泛素蛋白连接酶1(SMAD specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1,SMURF1)通过其E3泛素连接酶活性介导自噬进程,然而SMURF1的泛素化底物蛋白质仍有待进一步挖掘。本文利用免疫共沉淀(Co-IP)联合蛋白质谱分析捕获并鉴定THP-1细胞中SMURF1的相互作用蛋白质集合物,发现在THP-1细胞中SMURF1可与222种蛋白质物理性结合,RNA腺苷脱氨酶1(adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1,ADAR1)具有较高的肽段结合分数。构建SMURF1过表达载体并转染到HEK-293T细胞中,Co-IP和Western印迹检测验证外源性SMURF1与内源性ADAR1存在相互作用。qRT-PCR和Western印迹检测结果显示,在HEK-293T细胞中过表达SMURF1后ADAR1 mRNA水平差异无统计学意义、蛋白质水平明显降低(P<0.05)。用放线菌酮(CHX)分别处理正常和过表达SMURF1的HEK-293T细胞,Western印迹检测显示,过表达SMURF1后ADAR1...     

线性泛素化修饰研究进展

蛋白质泛素化修饰过程在调节各种细胞生物学功能的过程中发挥了非常重要的作用,如细胞周期进程、DNA损伤修复、信号转导和各种蛋白质膜定位等。泛素化修饰可分为多聚泛素化修饰和单泛素化修饰。多聚泛素化修饰系统可以通过对底物连接不同类型的多泛素化链调节蛋白质的功能。多聚泛素化修饰中已知7种泛素链连接方式均为泛素内赖氨酸连接方式。近几年发现了第8种类型的泛素链连接形式即线性泛素化,其泛素链的连接方式是由泛素甲硫氨酸的氨基基团与另一泛素甘氨酸的羧基基团相连形成泛素链标记。目前研究表明线性泛素化修饰在先天性免疫和炎症反应等多个过程中发挥着非常重要的作用。募集线性泛素链的泛素连接酶E3被称为LUBAC复合体,其组成底物以及其活性调控机制和功能所知甚少。本文综述了募集线性泛素化链的泛素连接酶、去泛素化酶、底物等活性调控机制及其在先天性免疫等多个领域中的功能,分析了后续研究方向,以期为相关研究提供参考。     

线性泛素化研究进展

线性泛素化是一种新型泛素化修饰方式,不同于赖氨酸介导的多聚泛素化,其主要通过泛素分子的首尾相连对蛋白质进行翻译后修饰,以线性泛素化复合体(LUBAC)作为E3连接酶,参与细胞的抗凋亡、抗病毒作用,以及炎症反应等细胞生命活动.该文主要介绍了线性泛素化的组成、对蛋白质进行修饰的主要方式,其参与调控的体内生理活动信号通路,并...     

Pot1通过泛素化修饰影响自身的稳定性

目的:研究Pot1蛋白的稳定性。方法:利用慢病毒表达载体构建表达外源Flag-Pot1的He La细胞稳定克隆,在该克隆中加入CHX抑制新蛋白的合成,检测外源Pot1的半衰期,确定Pot1的稳定性;将Pot1质粒与Ub质粒共转293T细胞后,加入MG132阻止蛋白酶体途径,确定Pot1的稳定性是否受泛素化修饰的影响;构建点突变和截短突变的Pot1质粒,与Ub质粒共转293T细胞后,加入MG132阻止蛋白酶体途径,确定影响Pot1稳定性的区域。结果与结论:Pot1通过泛素化修饰影响自身稳定性;点突变和截断突变实验证实Pot1存在多个泛素化位点,且主要发生在C端400~634位氨基酸残基。     

Activation of the E3 ligase function of the BRCA1/BARD1 complex by polyubiquitin chains

Loss of the tumour suppressor BRCA1 results in profound chromosomal instability. The fundamental defect underlying this catastrophic phenotype is not yet known. In vivo, BRCA1 forms a heterodimeric complex with BARD1. Both proteins contain an N-terminal zinc RING-finger domain which confers E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. We have isolated full-length human BRCA1/BARD1 complex and have shown that it has a dual E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. First, it mediates the monoubiquitylation of nucleosome core histones in vitro, including the variant histone H2AX that co-localizes with BRCA1 at sites of DNA damage. Secondly, BRCA1/BARD1 catalyses the formation of multiple polyubiquitin chains on itself. Remarkably, this auto-polyubiquitylation potentiates the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of the BRCA1/BARD1 complex >20-fold. Even though BRCA1 has been reported to associate with a C-terminal ubiquitin hydrolase, BAP1, this enzyme does not appear to function in the deubiquitylation of the BRCA1/BARD1 complex.     

Two redundant ubiquitin‐dependent pathways of BRCA1 localization to DNA damage sites

The tumor suppressor BRCA1 accumulates at sites of DNA damage in a ubiquitin‐dependent manner. In this work, we revisit the role of RAP80 in promoting BRCA1 recruitment to damaged chromatin. We find that RAP80 acts redundantly with the BRCA1 RING domain to promote BRCA1 recruitment to DNA damage sites. We show that that RNF8 E3 ligase acts upstream of both the RAP80‐ and RING‐dependent activities, whereas RNF168 acts uniquely upstream of the RING domain. BRCA1 RING mutations that do not impact BARD1 interaction, such as the E2 binding‐deficient I26A mutation, render BRCA1 unable to accumulate at DNA damage sites in the absence of RAP80. Cells that combine BRCA1 I26A and mutations that disable the RAP80–BRCA1 interaction are hypersensitive to PARP inhibition and are unable to form RAD51 foci. Our results suggest that in the absence of RAP80, the BRCA1 E3 ligase activity is necessary for recognition of histone H2A Lys13/Lys15 ubiquitylation by BARD1, although we cannot rule out the possibility that the BRCA1 RING facilitates ubiquitylated nucleosome recognition in other ways.     

Tuning BRCA1 and BARD1 activity to investigate RING ubiquitin ligase mechanisms

The tumor‐suppressor protein BRCA1 works with BARD1 to catalyze the transfer of ubiquitin onto protein substrates. The N‐terminal regions of BRCA1 and BARD1 that contain their RING domains are responsible for dimerization and ubiquitin ligase activity. This activity is a common feature among hundreds of human RING domain‐containing proteins. RING domains bind and activate E2 ubiquitin‐conjugating enzymes to promote ubiquitin transfer to substrates. We show that the identity of residues at specific positions in the RING domain can tune activity levels up or down. We report substitutions that create a structurally intact BRCA1/BARD1 heterodimer that is inactive in vitro with all E2 enzymes. Other substitutions in BRCA1 or BARD1 RING domains result in hyperactivity, revealing that both proteins have evolved attenuated activity. Loss of attenuation results in decreased product specificity, providing a rationale for why nature has tuned BRCA1 activity. The ability to tune BRCA1 provides powerful tools for understanding its biological functions and provides a basis to assess mechanisms for rescuing the activity of cancer‐associated variations. Beyond the applicability to BRCA1, we show the identity of residues at tuning positions that can be used to predict and modulate the activity of an unrelated RING E3 ligase. These findings provide valuable insights into understanding the mechanism and function of RING E3 ligases like BRCA1.     

Ghrelin protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells against high glucose-induced apoptosis via mTOR/P70S6K signaling pathway

Ghrelin exhibits its biological effect through binding to the growth hormone secretagogue 1a receptor (GHS-R1a). Recently, it has been reported that ghrelin has an anti-apoptotic effect in several cell types. However, the molecule mechanisms underlying the anti-apoptotic effect of ghrelin remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the intracellular mechanisms responsible for anti-apoptotic effect of ghrelin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Treatment of HUVEC with ghrelin inhibited high glucose-induced cell apoptosis. Ghrelin stimulated the rapid phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), P70S6K and S6. The GHS-R1a-specific antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 abolished the anti-apoptotic effect and inhibited the activation of mTOR, P70S6K, S6 induced by ghrelin. Pretreatment of cells with specific inhibitor of mTOR blocked the anti-apoptotic effect of ghrelin. In addition, ghrelin protected HUVECs against high glucose induced apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ghrelin produces a protective effect on HUVECs through activating GHS-R1a and mTOR/P70S6K signaling pathway mediates the effect of ghrelin. These observations suggest that ghrelin may act as a survival factor in preventing HUVECs apoptosis caused by high glucose.     

PC-1解除S6K对AKT信号通路的负反馈抑制

目的:通过建立过表达PC-1的前列腺癌LNCaP细胞系及敲低PC-1表达的C4-2细胞系,探究PC-1激活AKT信号通路的分子机制。方法:将PC-1基因及针对PC-1的siRNA序列,分别克隆至慢病毒表达载体pCDH-EF1-Myc-MCS-T2A-Puro及干扰载体pSIH1-H1-Puro,包装成慢病毒后分别感染前列腺癌LNCaP及C4-2细胞,通过Western印迹鉴定PC-1过表达及敲低效果,并检测PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路相关蛋白S6K、AKT的磷酸化水平。结果:PC-1过表达时,S6K磷酸化水平下降,而AKT的磷酸化水平上升。结论:PC-1可以通过抑制S6K激酶活性,解除其对AKT的负反馈抑制作用,从而激活AKT激酶的活性。     

Mollugin induces tumor cell apoptosis and autophagy via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K and ERK signaling pathways

Mollugin, a bioactive phytochemical isolated from Rubia cordifolia L., has shown preclinical anticancer efficacy in various cancer models. However the effects of mollugin in regulating cancer cell survival and death remains undefined. In the present study we found that mollugin exhibited cytotoxicity on various cancer models. The suppression of cell viability was due to the induction of mitochondria apoptosis. In addition, the presence of autophagic hallmarks was observed in mollugin-treated cells. Notably, blockade of autophagy by a chemical inhibitor or RNA interference enhanced the cytotoxicity of mollugin. Further experiments demonstrated that phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin/p70S6 kinase (PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K) and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathways participated in mollugin-induced autophagy and apoptosis. Together, these findings support further studies of mollugin as candidate for treatment of human cancer cells.