The Lysine 48 and Lysine 63 Ubiquitin Conjugates Are Processed Differently by the 26 S Proteasome

The role of Lys-63 ubiquitin chains in targeting proteins for proteasomal degradation is still obscure. We systematically compared proteasomal processing of Lys-63 ubiquitin chains with that of the canonical proteolytic signal, Lys-48 ubiquitin chains. Quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of ubiquitin chains in HeLa cells determines that the levels of Lys-63 ubiquitin chains are insensitive to short-time proteasome inhibition. Also, the Lys-48/Lys-63 ratio in the 26 S proteasome-bound fraction is 1.7-fold more than that in the cell lysates, likely because some cellular Lys-63 ubiquitin conjugates are sequestered by Lys-63 chain-specific binding proteins. In vitro, Lys-48 and Lys-63 ubiquitin chains bind the 26 S proteasome comparably, whereas Lys-63 chains are deubiquitinated 6-fold faster than Lys-48 chains. Also, Lys-63 tetraubiquitin-conjugated UbcH10 is rapidly deubiquitinated into the monoubiquitinated form, whereas Lys-48 tetraubiquitin targets UbcH10 for degradation. Furthermore, we found that both the ubiquitin aldehyde- and 1,10-phenanthroline-sensitive deubiquitinating activities of the 26 S proteasome contribute to Lys-48- and Lys-63-linkage deubiquitination, albeit the inhibitory extents are different. Together, our findings suggest that compared with Lys-48 chains, cellular Lys-63 chains have less proteasomal accessibility, and proteasome-bound Lys-63 chains are more rapidly deubiquitinated, which could cause inefficient degradation of Lys-63 conjugates.     

Chaperone-mediated 26S Proteasome Remodeling Facilitates Free K63 Ubiquitin Chain Production and Aggresome Clearance

Efficient elimination of misfolded proteins by the proteasome system is critical for proteostasis. Inadequate proteasome capacity can lead to aberrant aggregation of misfolded proteins and inclusion body formation, a hallmark of neurodegenerative disease. The proteasome system cannot degrade aggregated proteins; however, it stimulates autophagy-dependent aggregate clearance by producing unanchored lysine (K)63-linked ubiquitin chains via the proteasomal deubiquitinating enzyme Poh1. The canonical function of Poh1, which removes ubiquitin chains en bloc from proteasomal substrates prior to their degradation, requires intact 26S proteasomes. Here we present evidence that during aggresome clearance, 20S proteasomes dissociate from protein aggregates, while Poh1 and selective subunits of 19S proteasomes are retained. The dissociation of 20S proteasome components requires the molecular chaperone Hsp90. Hsp90 inhibition suppresses 26S proteasome remodeling, unanchored ubiquitin chain production, and aggresome clearance. Our results suggest that 26S proteasomes undergo active remodeling to generate a Poh1-dependent K63-deubiquitinating enzyme to facilitate protein aggregate clearance.     

The specificity of ubiquitin binding to ubiquilin-1 is regulated by sequences besides its UBA domain

UBQLN proteins regulate proteostasis by facilitating clearance of misfolded proteins through the proteasome and autophagy degradation pathways. Consistent with its proteasomal function, UBQLN proteins contain both UBL and UBA domains, which bind subunits of the proteasome, including the S5a subunit, and ubiquitin chains, respectively. Conclusions regarding the binding properties of UBQLN proteins have been derived principally through studies of its individual domains, not the full-length (FL) proteins. Here we describe the in vitro binding properties of FL-UBQLN1 with the S5a subunit of the proteasome and two different lysine-linked (K48 or K63) ubiquitin chains. We show that in contrast to its isolated UBA domain, which binds almost equally well with both K48 and K63 ubiquitin chains, FL UBQLN1 binds preferentially with K63 chains. Furthermore, we show that deletion of the UBL domain from UBQLN1 abrogates ubiquitin binding. Taken together these results suggest that sequences outside of the UBA domain in UBQLN1 function to regulate the specificity and binding with different ubiquitin moieties. We also show that the UBL domain of UBQLN1 is required for S5a binding and that its binding to UBQLN1, in turn, enhances K48 ubiquitin chain binding to the complex. We discuss the implications of our findings with the known function of UBQLN proteins in protein degradation.     

In vivo disassembly of free polyubiquitin chains by yeast Ubp14 modulates rates of protein degradation by the proteasome.

Degradation of many eukaryotic proteins requires their prior ligation to polyubiquitin chains, which target substrates to the 26S proteasome, an abundant cellular protease. We describe a yeast deubiquitinating enzyme, Ubp14, that specifically disassembles unanchored ('free') ubiquitin chains in vitro, a specificity shared by mammalian isopeptidase T. Correspondingly, deletion of the UBP14 gene from yeast cells results in a striking accumulation of free ubiquitin chains, which correlates with defects in ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Increasing the steady-state levels of ubiquitin chains in wild-type cells (by expressing a derivative of ubiquitin with an altered C-terminus) inhibits protein degradation to a degree comparable with that observed in ubp14delta cells. Inhibition of degradation is also seen when an active site mutant of Ubp14 is overproduced in vivo. Surprisingly, overproduction of wild-type Ubp14 can inhibit degradation of some proteins as well. Finally, Ubp14 and human isopeptidase T are shown to be functional homologs by complementation analysis. We propose that Ubp14 and isopeptidase T facilitate proteolysis in vivo by preventing unanchored ubiquitin chains from competitively inhibiting polyubiquitin-substrate binding to the 26S proteasome.     

Why do cellular proteins linked to K63-polyubiquitin chains not associate with proteasomes?

Although cellular proteins conjugated to K48‐linked Ub chains are targeted to proteasomes, proteins conjugated to K63‐ubiquitin chains are directed to lysosomes. However, pure 26S proteasomes bind and degrade K48‐ and K63‐ubiquitinated substrates similarly. Therefore, we investigated why K63‐ubiquitinated proteins are not degraded by proteasomes. We show that mammalian cells contain soluble factors that selectively bind to K63 chains and inhibit or prevent their association with proteasomes. Using ubiquitinated proteins as affinity ligands, we found that the main cellular proteins that associate selectively with K63 chains and block their binding to proteasomes are ESCRT0 (Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport) and its components, STAM and Hrs. In vivo, knockdown of ESCRT0 confirmed that it is required to block binding of K63‐ubiquitinated molecules to the proteasome. In addition, the Rad23 proteins, especially hHR23B, were found to bind specifically to K48‐ubiquitinated proteins and to stimulate proteasome binding. The specificities of these proteins for K48‐ or K63‐ubiquitin chains determine whether a ubiquitinated protein is targeted for proteasomal degradation or delivered instead to the endosomal‐lysosomal pathway.     

A conditional yeast E1 mutant blocks the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and reveals a role for ubiquitin conjugates in targeting Rad23 to the proteasome

E1 ubiquitin activating enzyme catalyzes the initial step in all ubiquitin-dependent processes. We report the isolation of uba1-204, a temperature-sensitive allele of the essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae E1 gene, UBA1. Uba1-204 cells exhibit dramatic inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, resulting in rapid depletion of cellular ubiquitin conjugates and stabilization of multiple substrates. We have employed the tight phenotype of this mutant to investigate the role ubiquitin conjugates play in the dynamic interaction of the UbL/UBA adaptor proteins Rad23 and Dsk2 with the proteasome. Although proteasomes purified from mutant cells are intact and proteolytically active, they are depleted of ubiquitin conjugates, Rad23, and Dsk2. Binding of Rad23 to these proteasomes in vitro is enhanced by addition of either free or substrate-linked ubiquitin chains. Moreover, association of Rad23 with proteasomes in mutant and wild-type cells is improved upon stabilizing ubiquitin conjugates with proteasome inhibitor. We propose that recognition of polyubiquitin chains by Rad23 promotes its shuttling to the proteasome in vivo.     

An unstructured initiation site is required for efficient proteasome-mediated degradation

The proteasome is the main ATP-dependent protease in eukaryotic cells and controls the concentration of many regulatory proteins in the cytosol and nucleus. Proteins are targeted to the proteasome by the covalent attachment of polyubiquitin chains. The ubiquitin modification serves as the proteasome recognition element but by itself is not sufficient for efficient degradation of folded proteins. We report that proteolysis of tightly folded proteins is accelerated greatly when an unstructured region is attached to the substrate. The unstructured region serves as the initiation site for degradation and is hydrolyzed first, after which the rest of the protein is digested sequentially. These results identify the initiation site as a novel component of the targeting signal, which is required to engage the proteasome unfolding machinery efficiently. The proteasome degrades a substrate by first binding to its ubiquitin modification and then initiating unfolding at an unstructured region.     

Proteasome-associated proteins: regulation of a proteolytic machine

The proteasome is a compartmentalized, ATP-dependent protease composed of more than 30 subunits that recognizes and degrades polyubiquitinated substrates. Despite its physiological importance, many aspects of the proteasome's structural organization and regulation remain poorly understood. In addition to the proteins that form the proteasome holocomplex, there is increasing evidence that proteasomal function is affected by a wide variety of associating proteins. A group of ubiquitin-binding proteins assist in delivery of substrates to the proteasome, whereas proteasome-associated ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes may alter the dynamics of ubiquitin chains already associated with the proteasome. Some proteins appear to influence the overall stability of the complex, and still others have the capacity to activate or inhibit the hydrolytic activity of the core particle. The increasing number of interacting proteins identified suggests that proteasomes, as they exist in the cell, are larger and more diverse in composition than previously assumed. Thus, the study of proteasome-associated proteins will lead to new perspectives on the dynamics of this uniquely complex proteolytic machine.     

The ubiquitin-specific protease UBP14 is essential for early embryo development in Arabidopsis thaliana

The ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway is a major route for selectively degrading cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins in eukaryotes. In this pathway, chains of ubiquitins become attached to short-lived proteins, signalling recognition and breakdown of the modified protein by the 26S proteasome. During or following target degradation, the attached multi-ubiquitin chains are released and subsequently disassembled by ubiquitin-specific proteases (UBPs) to regenerate free ubiquitin monomers for re-use. Here, we describe Arabidopsis thaliana UBP14 that may participate in this recycling process. Its amino acid sequence is most similar to yeast UBP14 and its orthologues, human IsoT1-3 and Dictyostelium UbpA, and it can functionally replace yeast UBP14 in a ubp14Delta mutant. Like its orthologues, AtUBP14 can disassemble multi-ubiquitin chains linked internally via epsilon-amino isopeptide bonds using Lys48 and can process some, but not all, translational fusions of ubiquitin linked via alpha-amino peptide bonds. However, unlike its yeast and Dictyostelium orthologues, AtUBP14 is essential in Arabidopsis. T-DNA insertion mutations in the single gene that encodes AtUBP14 cause an embryonic lethal phenotype, with the homozygous embryos arresting at the globular stage. The arrested seeds have substantially increased levels of multi-ubiquitin chains, indicative of a defect in ubiquitin recycling. Taken together, the data demonstrate an essential role for the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway in general and for AtUBP14 in particular during early plant development.     

Protein-linked ubiquitin chain structure restricts activity of deubiquitinating enzymes

The attachment of lysine 48 (Lys(48))-linked polyubiquitin chains to proteins is a universal signal for degradation by the proteasome. Here, we report that long Lys(48)-linked chains are resistant to many deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Representative enzymes from this group, Ubp15 from yeast and its human ortholog USP7, rapidly remove mono- and diubiquitin from substrates but are slow to remove longer Lys(48)-linked chains. This resistance is lost if the structure of Lys(48)-linked chains is disrupted by mutation of ubiquitin or if chains are linked through Lys(63). In contrast to Ubp15 and USP7, Ubp12 readily cleaves the ends of long chains, regardless of chain structure. We propose that the resistance to many DUBs of long, substrate-attached Lys(48)-linked chains helps ensure that proteins are maintained free from ubiquitin until a threshold of ubiquitin ligase activity enables degradation.     

Lysine 63‐linked polyubiquitin chain may serve as a targeting signal for the 26S proteasome

Recruitment of substrates to the 26S proteasome usually requires covalent attachment of the Lys48‐linked polyubiquitin chain. In contrast, modifications with the Lys63‐linked polyubiquitin chain and/or monomeric ubiquitin are generally thought to function in proteasome‐independent cellular processes. Nevertheless, the ubiquitin chain‐type specificity for the proteasomal targeting is still poorly understood, especially in vivo. Using mass spectrometry, we found that Rsp5, a ubiquitin‐ligase in budding yeast, catalyzes the formation of Lys63‐linked ubiquitin chains in vitro. Interestingly, the 26S proteasome degraded well the Lys63‐linked ubiquitinated substrate in vitro. To examine whether Lys63‐linked ubiquitination serves in degradation in vivo, we investigated the ubiquitination of Mga2‐p120, a substrate of Rsp5. The polyubiquitinated p120 contained relatively high levels of Lys63‐linkages, and the Lys63‐linked chains were sufficient for the proteasome‐binding and subsequent p120‐processing. In addition, Lys63‐linked chains as well as Lys48‐linked chains were detected in the 26S proteasome‐bound polyubiquitinated proteins. These results raise the possibility that Lys63‐linked ubiquitin chain also serves as a targeting signal for the 26S proteaseome in vivo.     

Rad23 and Rpn10 serve as alternative ubiquitin receptors for the proteasome

The selective recognition of ubiquitin conjugates by proteasomes is a key step in protein degradation. The receptors that mediate this step have yet to be clearly defined although specific candidates exist. Here we show that the proteasome directly recognizes ubiquitin chains through a specific subunit, Rpn10, and also recognizes chains indirectly through Rad23, a reversibly bound proteasome cofactor. Both binding events can be observed in purified biochemical systems. A block substitution in the chain-binding ubiquitin interacting motif of RPN10 when combined with a null mutation in RAD23 results in a synthetic defect in protein degradation consistent with the view that the direct and indirect recognition modes function to some extent redundantly in vivo. Rad23 and the deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp6 both bind proteasome subunit Rpn1 through N-terminal ubiquitin-like domains. Surprisingly, Rad23 and Ubp6 do not compete with each other for proteasome binding. Thus, Rpn1 may act as a scaffold to assemble on the proteasome multiple proteins that act to either bind or hydrolyze multiubiquitin chains.     

Redundant Roles of Rpn10 and Rpn13 in Recognition of Ubiquitinated Proteins and Cellular Homeostasis

Intracellular proteins tagged with ubiquitin chains are targeted to the 26S proteasome for degradation. The two subunits, Rpn10 and Rpn13, function as ubiquitin receptors of the proteasome. However, differences in roles between Rpn10 and Rpn13 in mammals remains to be understood. We analyzed mice deficient for Rpn13 and Rpn10. Liver-specific deletion of either Rpn10 or Rpn13 showed only modest impairment, but simultaneous loss of both caused severe liver injury accompanied by massive accumulation of ubiquitin conjugates, which was recovered by re-expression of either Rpn10 or Rpn13. We also found that mHR23B and ubiquilin/Plic-1 and -4 failed to bind to the proteasome in the absence of both Rpn10 and Rpn13, suggesting that these two subunits are the main receptors for these UBL-UBA proteins that deliver ubiquitinated proteins to the proteasome. Our results indicate that Rpn13 mostly plays a redundant role with Rpn10 in recognition of ubiquitinated proteins and maintaining homeostasis in Mus musculus.     

Mutants of the deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp14 decipher pathway diversity of ubiquitin-proteasome linked protein degradation

Selective proteolysis is an important regulatory mechanism in all cells. In eukaryotes, this process gains specificity by tagging proteins with the small protein ubiquitin. K48 linked polyubiquitin chains of four and more ubiquitin moieties target proteins for hydrolysis by the proteasome. Prior to degradation the polyubiquitin chain is removed from the protein, cleaved into single units, and recycled. The deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp14 is an important catalyst of this process. Mutants of Ubp14 had been shown to accumulate non-cleaved oligo- and polyubiquitin chains, which resulted in inhibition of overall ubiquitin-proteasome linked proteolysis as well as in inhibition of degradation of some known substrates. Here we show that accumulation of ubiquitin chains due to defective Ubp14 does not uniformly lead to inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasome linked protein degradation. Instead, inhibition of degradation depends on the substrate tested. The results indicate the existence of different paths through which proteins enter the proteasome.     

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.     

APC/C-mediated multiple monoubiquitylation provides an alternative degradation signal for cyclin B1

The anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C) initiates mitotic exit by ubiquitylating cell-cycle regulators such as cyclin B1 and securin. Lys 48-linked ubiquitin chains represent the canonical signal targeting proteins for degradation by the proteasome, but they are not required for the degradation of cyclin B1. Lys 11-linked ubiquitin chains have been implicated in degradation of APC/C substrates, but the Lys 11-chain-forming E2 UBE2S is not essential for mitotic exit, raising questions about the nature of the ubiquitin signal that targets APC/C substrates for degradation. Here we demonstrate that multiple monoubiquitylation of cyclin B1, catalysed by UBCH10 or UBC4/5, is sufficient to target cyclin B1 for destruction by the proteasome. When the number of ubiquitylatable lysines in cyclin B1 is restricted, Lys 11-linked ubiquitin polymers elaborated by UBE2S become increasingly important. We therefore explain how a substrate that contains multiple ubiquitin acceptor sites confers flexibility in the requirement for particular E2 enzymes in modulating the rate of ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis.     

Alpha-synuclein and parkin contribute to the assembly of ubiquitin lysine 63-linked multiubiquitin chains

Mutations in alpha-synuclein, Parkin, and UCH-L1 cause heritable forms of Parkinson disease. Unlike alpha-synuclein, for which no precise biochemical function has been elucidated, Parkin functions as a ubiquitin E3 ligase, and UCH-L1 is a deubiquitinating enzyme. The E3 ligase activity of Parkin in Parkinson disease is poorly understood and is further obscured by the fact that multiubiquitin chains can be formed through distinct types of linkages that regulate diverse cellular processes. For instance, ubiquitin lysine 48-linked multiubiquitin chains target substrates to the proteasome, whereas ubiquitin lysine 63-linked chains control ribosome function, protein sorting and trafficking, and endocytosis of membrane proteins. It is notable in this regard that ubiquitin lysine 63-linked chains promote the degradation of membrane proteins by the lysosome. Because both Parkin and alpha-synuclein can regulate the activity of the dopamine transporter, we investigated whether they influenced ubiquitin lysine 63-linked chain assembly. These studies revealed novel biochemical activities for both Parkin and alpha-synuclein. We determined that Parkin functions with UbcH13/Uev1a, a dimeric ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, to assemble ubiquitin lysine 63-linked chains. Our results and the results of others indicate that Parkin can promote both lysine 48- and lysine 63-linked ubiquitin chains. alpha-Synuclein also stimulated the assembly of lysine 63-linked ubiquitin chains. Because UCH-L1, a ubiquitin hydrolase, was recently reported to form lysine 63-linked conjugates, it is evident that three proteins that are genetically linked to Parkinson disease can contribute to lysine 63 multiubiquitin chain formation.     

An optical and non‐invasive method to detect the accumulation of ubiquitin chains

The accumulations of excess amounts of polyubiquitinated proteins are cytotoxic and frequently observed in pathologic tissue from patients of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, optical and non‐invasive methods to detect the increase of the amounts of polyubiquitinated proteins in living cells is a promising strategy to find out symptoms and environmental cause of neurodegenerative diseases, also for identifying compounds that could inhibit gathering of polyubiquitinated proteins. Therefore, we generated a pair of fluorescent protein [Az amig reen (Azg) and Ku sabirao range (Kuo)] tagged ubiquitin on its N‐terminus (Azg‐Ub and Kuo‐Ub) and developed an Azg/Kuo‐based F luorescence R esonance E nergy T ransfer (FRET) assay to estimate the amount of polyubiquitin chains in vitro and in vivo. The FRET intensity was attenuated in the presence of ubiquitin‐activating enzyme inhibitor, PYR‐41, indicating that both fluorescent ubiquitin is incorporated into ubiquitin chains likewise normal ubiquitin. The FRET intensity was enhanced by the addition of the proteasome inhibitor, MG‐132, and was reduced in the presence of the autophagy activator Rapamycin, designating that ubiquitin chains with fluorescent ubiquitin act as the degradation signal equally with normal ubiquitin chains. In summary, the above optical methods provide powerful research tools to estimate the amounts of polyubiquitin chains in vitro and in vivo, especially non‐invasively in living cells.     

p62 filaments capture and present ubiquitinated cargos for autophagy

The removal of misfolded, ubiquitinated proteins is an essential part of the protein quality control. The ubiquitin‐proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy are two interconnected pathways that mediate the degradation of such proteins. During autophagy, ubiquitinated proteins are clustered in a p62‐dependent manner and are subsequently engulfed by autophagosomes. However, the nature of the protein substrates targeted for autophagy is unclear. Here, we developed a reconstituted system using purified components and show that p62 and ubiquitinated proteins spontaneously coalesce into larger clusters. Efficient cluster formation requires substrates modified with at least two ubiquitin chains longer than three moieties and is based on p62 filaments cross‐linked by the substrates. The reaction is inhibited by free ubiquitin, K48‐, and K63‐linked ubiquitin chains, as well as by the autophagosomal marker LC3B, suggesting a tight cross talk with general proteostasis and autophagosome formation. Our study provides mechanistic insights on how substrates are channeled into autophagy.     

Ubiquitin-binding domains and their role in the DNA damage response

The modification of eukaryotic proteins by covalent attachment of ubiquitin is a versatile signaling event with a wide range of possible consequences. Canonical poly-ubiquitination by Lys-48 linked chains usually destines a protein for degradation by the proteasome. By contrast, attachment of a single ubiquitin or ubiquitin chains linked through Lys-63 or Lys-6 serves a non-proteolytic role. Over the last years, evidence has accumulated that several nuclear proteins become ubiquitinated in response to DNA damage. Typically, these proteins carry mono-ubiquitin or non-classical ubiquitin chains and are localized close to the site of DNA damage. Of particular interest are PCNA and the variant histone H2AX, two key proteins whose ubiquitination serves to recruit factors needed by the cell to cope with the damage. A prerequisite for docking effector proteins to the site of the lesion is the detection of a specific ubiquitin modification, a process that can be mediated by a range of dedicated ubiquitin-binding domains (UBDs). As the same types of ubiquitin modification are involved in entirely different processes, the recognition of the ubiquitin mark has to go along with the recognition of the modified protein. Thus, ubiquitin-binding domains gain their specificity through combination with other recognition domains and motifs. This review discusses ubiquitin-binding domains relevant to the DNA damage response, including their binding mode, their specificity, and their interdependence with other factors. For several repair pathways, current knowledge of the events downstream of the ubiquitin mark is sketchy. A closer look at orphan UBD proteins might lead to the identification of missing pieces in the DNA response puzzle.