泛素介导的蛋白质降解系统——从基础研究到临床应用

20世纪60～80年代,大多数生物科研人员都致力于核酸和遗传信息传递的研究。蛋白质降解被认为是非特异的过程,因此没有人感兴趣。泛素修饰的发现使蛋白质降解领域发生革命性的变化,人们逐渐认识到蛋白质降解是一个特异的受严格调控的过程。细胞内蛋白质降解事件的发生会调节许多生命过程,如细胞增殖、分化、衰老和死亡。细胞内蛋白质降解调控异常也会引发多种疾病,包括癌症和神经退行性疾病。人们对细胞内蛋白质降解的研究已经取得一定成果,但是还有很多问题没有解决,全面解读该过程还需要更多的努力和探索。     

蛋白质的选择性降解机制——2004年诺贝尔化学奖部分工作介绍

如何识别和选择性降解蛋白质是细胞生命过程中的重要环节.泛素-蛋白酶体需能降解途径的发现,揭示了蛋白质在细胞内选择性降解的普遍方式.对于需要清除的蛋白质,通过其赖氨酸残基侧链ε-氨基连接多聚泛素链（降解标签）,继而在蛋白酶体中被降解.这种选择性降解机制对于维持蛋白质在细胞内含量的动态平衡起到了关键性作用.     

自噬与泛素化蛋白降解途径的分子机制及其功能

细胞内所有的蛋白质和大多数的细胞外蛋白都在不断的进行更新,即它们在不断地被降解,并被新合成的蛋白质取代。细胞内蛋白的降解主要通过两个途径,即自噬和泛素蛋白酶体系统。自噬是一种由溶酶体介导的细胞内过多或异常蛋白质的降解机制。在细胞内主要有3种类型的自噬,即分子伴侣介导的自噬、微自噬和巨自噬。泛素蛋白酶体系统是由泛素介导的一种高度复杂的蛋白降解机制,它参与降解细胞内许多蛋白质并且这个过程具有高度特异性。细胞内蛋白质的降解参与调节许多细胞过程,包括细胞周期、DNA修复、细胞生长和分化、细胞质量的控制、病原生物的感染反应和细胞凋亡等。许多严重的人类疾病被认为是由于蛋白质降解系统的紊乱而引起的。文章综述了自噬和泛素化途径及其分子机制,以及蛋白质降解系统紊乱的病理学意义。     

泛素—蛋白酶体途径的组成及其生物学作用

泛素－蛋白酶体途径是近20年来发现的一种高效蛋白分解途径,其生物学作用非常广泛。本文简要介绍泛素－蛋白酶体途径的组成,作用机制,泛素－蛋白酶体途径与骨骼肌蛋白降解,抗原提呈,细胞周期调节,转录因子代谢,临床疾病间的关系,以及在药物开发和临床治疗中的意义。     

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。     

泛素化介导的非蛋白质降解功能

泛素因标记被26 S蛋白酶体降解的蛋白质而著名．然而近几年发现,泛素作用远不止此,不仅具有参与蛋白质降解这一重要“传统作用”,还起着比先前想象更多变的、更精美的细胞调控作用,是非常重要的细胞过程的多层面调节因子,具有许多重要的非蛋白质降解功能,包括DNA损伤修复、DNA复制、信号传导、转录调节、膜运输、胞吞、蛋白激酶活化、染色质重塑和病毒芽殖．这些功能涉及多聚泛素化和单泛素化及多泛素化．因此,泛素化异常可能涉及疾病的发生和发展．对这些功能的了解可以拓展人们对泛素的认识,有助于对多种细胞过程的深入理解,也有助于相关新药的研发．     

原核生物类泛素蛋白Pup-蛋白酶体系统的研究进展

真核泛素-蛋白酶体系统是细胞内蛋白质降解的重要机制,参与细胞生理功能调控,因此泛素-蛋白酶体通路的机制和功能研究备受关注.20世纪80年代,人们就发现放线菌中存在原核蛋白酶体,但是对于原核蛋白酶体的功能和作用机理长期以来了解甚少.2008年,Pearce等在结核分枝杆菌中发现了原核类泛素蛋白(prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein,Pup).在Dop、PafA、Mpa等辅助因子的作用下,Pup可以共价标记多种功能蛋白,并介导被标记蛋白质通过蛋白酶体降解,Pup-蛋白酶体系统的发现揭示了原核生物中一个崭新的蛋白质降解机制.Pup-蛋白酶体系统的靶蛋白涉及物质中间代谢、信号通路、毒性和抗毒性因子、细胞壁和细胞膜组分等多个方面,并且与结核分枝杆菌的致病性相关,被认为是新的结核病治疗药物靶点.本文就原核Pup-蛋白酶体系统的作用机理及其功能的研究进展作一综述.     

O-GlcNAc修饰对蛋白质泛素化降解途径的影响

O-GlcNAc修饰是一种特殊的糖基化修饰,几乎参与生物体内所有细胞过程的调控。该修饰与泛素化作为两种重要的蛋白质翻译后修饰形式,都与2型糖尿病、神经退行性疾病、癌症等疾病密切相关。O-GlcNAc修饰对蛋白质泛素化降解途径的影响主要体现在4个方面:(1)O-GlcNAc修饰能够抑制26S蛋白酶体的ATPase活性;(2)O-GlcNAc修饰会减少某些底物蛋白的泛素化降解;(3)O-GlcNAc修饰泛素化相关酶并调节其功能;(4)某些蛋白质(包括调控因子)发生O-GlcNAc修饰后间接影响蛋白质泛素化。     

靶向蛋白质泛素修饰及降解在前列腺癌治疗中的机遇与挑战

前列腺癌是中国发病率增长最快的男性肿瘤,抗雄激素治疗耐药是导致前列腺癌患者预后差的主要原因。因此,解决耐药性难题是前列腺癌转化研究的关键问题。哺乳动物细胞利用泛素-蛋白酶体系统实现蛋白质的靶向降解。因此,前列腺癌中关键的癌基因如雄激素受体（AR）的上游泛素化调控因子（如去泛素化酶）是潜在的治疗靶点。然而,这些酶具有较广的底物谱系,存在脱靶的可能性。近来,基于泛素-蛋白酶体系统开发的蛋白质降解靶向嵌合体（proteolysis-targeting chimeras,PROTAC）技术是最具前景和革命性的新型抗癌药物研发技术,能够利用特定E3泛素连接酶对靶蛋白进行降解而不影响其他底物。与传统小分子抑制剂相比,PROTAC分子在克服耐药性以及针对不可成药的靶点方面拥有巨大优势。目前,针对AR的PROTAC降解剂已在II期临床取得了成功,靶向蛋白质泛素化及降解途径的新技术将有望为前列腺癌的临床治疗带来新的突破。     

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。     

The unfolding of substrates and ubiquitin-independent protein degradation by proteasomes

26S proteasomes are composed of a 20S proteolytic core and two ATPase-containing 19S regulatory particles. To clarify the role of these ATPases in proteolysis, we studied the PAN complex, the archaeal homolog of the 19S ATPases. When ATP is present, PAN stimulates protein degradation by archaeal 20S proteasomes. PAN is a molecular chaperone that catalyzes the ATP-dependent unfolding of globular proteins. If 20S proteasomes are present, this unfoldase activity is linked to degradation. Thus PAN, and presumably the 26S ATPases, unfold substrates and facilitate their entry into the 20S particle. 26S proteasomes preferentially degrade ubiquitinated proteins. However, we found that calmodulin (CaM) and troponin C are degraded by 26S proteasomes without ubiquitination. Ca(2+)-free native CaM and in vitro 'aged' CaM are degraded faster than the Ca(2+)-bound form. Ubiquitination of CaM does not enhance its degradation. Degradation of ovalbumin normally requires ubiquitination, but can occur without ubiquitination if ovalbumin is denatured. The degradation of these proteins still requires ATP and the 19S particle. Thus, ubiquitin-independent degradation by 26S proteasomes may be more important than generally assumed.     

湿地退化研究进展

受经济发展、城市扩张、气候变化的影响,湿地退化已经成为全球性现象,是当前国际湿地科学前沿领域的热点。从湿地退化标准、退化特征、退化分级、退化过程、退化机理、退化监测体系、退化评价指标与指标体系、退化监测新技术及其生态恢复理论与技术9个方面系统地介绍了当前湿地退化研究进展。结果表明湿地退化过程、退化机理、退化评价指标体系和退化湿地监测、恢复与重建研究是当前研究的重点,在未来相当长的时间内,全球气候变化、湿地退化的微观过程与机理、湿地生态系统的可持续利用将会是重要的研究方向。最后就我国当前湿地退化研究存在的问题进行了分析,并提出近期湿地退化研究亟待开展的11项研究工作,供我国湿地退化研究工作者参考。     

Antizyme, a mediator of ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is among the small set of proteasome substrates that is not ubiquitinated. It is instead degraded in conjunction with the protein antizyme (AZ). ODC and AZ are participants in a regulatory circuit that restricts pools of polyamines, the downstream products of ODC enzymatic activity. Functional studies using directed mutagenesis have identified regions of ODC and AZ required for the process of ODC degradation. Within ODC, there is a region that is required for AZ binding which lies on the surface of an alpha-beta barrel forming one domain of the ODC monomer. A carboxy-terminal ODC domain is needed for both AZ-dependent and AZ-independent degradation. Within AZ, the carboxy-terminal half molecule is sufficient for binding to ODC, but an additional domain found within the AZ amino terminus must be present for stimulation of ODC degradation by the proteasome. Recently, the AZs have been found to consist of an ancient gene family. Within vertebrate species, multiple isoforms are found, with distinct functions that remain to be sorted out. Although AZ homologs have been found in some yeast species, homology searches have failed to identify an AZ homolog in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nevertheless, the close parallel between polyamine-induced ODC degradation in S. cerevisiae and in animal cells suggests that this organism will also be found to harbor an AZ-like protein.     

Parasitic modulation of host development by ubiquitin-independent protein degradation

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MDM2 promotes proteasome-dependent ubiquitin-independent degradation of retinoblastoma protein

Inactivation of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) plays a critical role in the development of human malignancies. It has been shown that Rb is degraded through a proteasome-dependent pathway, yet the mechanism is largely unclear. MDM2 is frequently found amplified and overexpressed in a variety of human tumors. In this study, we find that MDM2 promotes Rb degradation in a proteasome-dependent and ubiquitin-independent manner. We show that Rb, MDM2, and the C8 subunit of the 20S proteasome interact in vitro and in vivo and that MDM2 promotes Rb-C8 interaction. Expression of wild-type MDM2, but not the mutant MDM2 defective either in Rb interaction or in RING finger domain, promotes cell cycle S phase entry independent of p53. Furthermore, MDM2 ablation results in Rb accumulation and inhibition of DNA synthesis. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that MDM2 is a critical negative regulator for Rb and suggest that MDM2 overexpression contributes to cancer development by destabilizing Rb.     

乳蛋白的主要组分及其研究现状

乳蛋白是乳中最重要的成分,包括酪蛋白、乳清蛋白和乳脂肪球膜蛋白等。本文对乳中主要蛋白质的结构组成特点、分泌的规律和功能等进行了综述,并介绍了国内外乳蛋白研究的最新进展及其研究乳蛋白的意义。     

Research advances in expansins and expansion-like proteins involved in lignocellulose degradation

Biofuel derived from lignocellulosic biomass has attracted considerable attention as a renewable energy source. Nevertheless, the conversion of lignocellulose into fermentable sugars is inherently difficult because of the complex structures of lignocelluloses. Accessory proteins, like expansins, have a non-hydrolytic disruptive effect on crystalline cellulose and can synergistically cooperate with cellulase to improve hydrolysis efficiency. This review summarizes recent studies on expansins and expansin-like proteins, in terms of their expression and purification, synergism in lignocellulose hydrolysis, structure–function studies and binding characteristics. Future research prospects are also presented. This review provides a discussion of expansins in the context of lignocellulose hydrolysis.     

FAT10, a ubiquitin-independent signal for proteasomal degradation

FAT10 is a small ubiquitin-like modifier that is encoded in the major histocompatibility complex and is synergistically inducible by tumor necrosis factor alpha and gamma interferon. It is composed of two ubiquitin-like domains and possesses a free C-terminal diglycine motif that is required for the formation of FAT10 conjugates. Here we show that unconjugated FAT10 and a FAT10 conjugate were rapidly degraded by the proteasome at a similar rate. Fusion of FAT10 to the N terminus of very long-lived proteins enhanced their degradation rate as potently as fusion with ubiquitin did. FAT10-green fluorescent protein fusion proteins were not cleaved but entirely degraded, suggesting that FAT10-specific deconjugating enzymes were not present in the analyzed cell lines. Interestingly, the prevention of ubiquitylation of FAT10 by mutation of all lysines or by expression in ubiquitylation-deficient cells did not affect FAT10 degradation. Thus, conjugation with FAT10 is an alternative and ubiquitin-independent targeting mechanism for degradation by the proteasome, which, in contrast to polyubiquitylation, is cytokine inducible and irreversible.     

Spermidine mediates degradation of ornithine decarboxylase by a non-lysosomal, ubiquitin-independent mechanism

The mechanism of spermidine-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, E.C. 4.1.1.17) inactivation was investigated using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, maintained in serum-free medium, which display a stabilization of ODC owing to the lack of accumulation of putrescine and spermidine (Glass and Gerner: Biochem. J., 236:351-357, 1986; Sertich et al.: J. Cell Physiol., 127:114-120, 1986). Treatment of cells with 10 microM exogenous spermidine leads to rapid decay of ODC activity accompanied by a parallel decrease in enzyme protein. Analysis of the decay of [35S]methionine-labeled ODC and separation by two-dimensional electrophoresis revealed no detectable modification in ODC structure during enhanced degradation. Spermidine-mediated inactivation of ODC occurred in a temperature-dependent manner exhibiting pseudo-first-order kinetics over a temperature range of 22-37 degrees C. In cultures treated continuously, an initial lag was observed after treatment with spermidine, followed by a rapid decline in activity as an apparent critical concentration of intracellular spermidine was achieved. Treating cells at 22 degrees C for 3 hours with 10 microM spermidine, followed by removal of exogenous polyamine, and then shifting to varying temperatures, resulted in rates of ODC inactivation identical with that determined with a continuous treatment. Arrhenius analysis showed that polyamine mediated inactivation of ODC occurred with an activation energy of approximately 16 kcal/mol. Treatment of cells with lysosomotrophic agents (NH4Cl, chloroquine, antipain, leupeptin, chymostatin) had no effect on ODC degradation. ODC turnover was not dependent on ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Shift of ts85 cells, a temperature-sensitive mutant for ubiquitin conjugation, to 39 degrees C (nonpermissive for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis) followed by addition of spermidine led to a rapid decline in ODC activity, with a rate similar to that seen at 32 degrees C (the permissive temperature). In contrast, spermidine-mediated ODC degradation was substantially decreased by inhibitors of protein synthesis (cycloheximide, emetine, and puromycin). These data support the hypothesis that spermidine regulates ODC degradation via a mechanism requiring new protein synthesis, and that this occurs via a non-lysosomal, ubiquitin-independent pathway.