Bivalent inhibitor of the N-end rule pathway.

The N-end rule relates the in vivo half-life of a protein to the identity of its N-terminal residue. Ubr1p, the recognition (E3) component of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae N-end rule pathway, contains at least two substrate-binding sites. The type 1 site is specific for N-terminal basic residues Arg, Lys, and His. The type 2 site is specific for N-terminal bulky hydrophobic residues Phe, Leu, Trp, Tyr, and Ile. Previous work has shown that dipeptides bearing either type 1 or type 2 N-terminal residues act as weak but specific inhibitors of the N-end rule pathway. We took advantage of the two-site architecture of Ubr1p to explore the feasibility of bivalent N-end rule inhibitors, whose expected higher efficacy would result from higher affinity of the cooperative (bivalent) binding to Ubr1p. The inhibitor comprised mixed tetramers of beta-galactosidase that bore both N-terminal Arg (type 1 residue) and N-terminal Leu (type 2 residue) but that were resistant to proteolysis in vivo. Expression of these constructs in S. cerevisiae inhibited the N-end rule pathway much more strongly than the expression of otherwise identical beta-galactosidase tetramers whose N-terminal residues were exclusively Arg or exclusively Leu. In addition to demonstrating spatial proximity between the type 1 and type 2 substrate-binding sites of Ubr1p, these results provide a route to high affinity inhibitors of the N-end rule pathway.     

The arginylation branch of the N-end rule pathway positively regulates cellular autophagic flux and clearance of proteotoxic proteins

The N-terminal amino acid of a protein is an essential determinant of ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation in the N-end rule pathway. Using para-chloroamphetamine (PCA), a specific inhibitor of the arginylation branch of the pathway (Arg/N-end rule pathway), we identified that blocking the Arg/N-end rule pathway significantly impaired the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes. Under ER stress, ATE1-encoded Arg-tRNA-protein transferases carry out the N-terminal arginylation of the ER heat shock protein HSPA5 that initially targets cargo proteins, along with SQSTM1, to the autophagosome. At the late stage of autophagy, however, proteasomal degradation of arginylated HSPA5 might function as a critical checkpoint for the proper progression of autophagic flux in the cells. Consistently, the inhibition of the Arg/N-end rule pathway with PCA significantly elevated levels of MAPT and huntingtin aggregates, accompanied by increased numbers of LC3 and SQSTM1 puncta. Cells treated with the Arg/N-end rule inhibitor became more sensitized to proteotoxic stress-induced cytotoxicity. SILAC-based quantitative proteomics also revealed that PCA significantly alters various biological pathways, including cellular responses to stress, nutrient, and DNA damage, which are also closely involved in modulation of autophagic responses. Thus, our results indicate that the Arg/N-end rule pathway may function to actively protect cells from detrimental effects of cellular stresses, including proteotoxic protein accumulation, by positively regulating autophagic flux.     

RGS4 is arginylated and degraded by the N-end rule pathway in vitro

The N-end rule relates the in vivo half-life of a protein to the identity of its N-terminal residue. We used an expression-cloning screen to search for mouse proteins that are degraded by the ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent N-end rule pathway in a reticulocyte lysate. One substrate thus identified was RGS4, a member of the RGS family of GTPase-activating proteins that down-regulate specific G proteins. A determinant of the RGS4 degradation signal (degron) was located at the N terminus of RGS4, because converting cysteine 2 to either glycine, alanine, or valine completely stabilized RGS4. Radiochemical sequencing indicated that the N-terminal methionine of the lysate-produced RGS4 was replaced with arginine. Since N-terminal arginine is a destabilizing residue not encoded by RGS4 mRNA, we conclude that the degron of RGS4 is generated through the removal of N-terminal methionine and enzymatic arginylation of the resulting N-terminal cysteine. RGS16, another member of the RGS family, was also found to be an N-end rule substrate. RGS4 that was transiently expressed in mouse L cells was short-lived in these cells. However, the targeting of RGS4 for degradation in this in vivo setting involved primarily another degron, because N-terminal variants of RGS4 that were stable in reticulocyte lysate remained unstable in L cells.     

Degradation of HIV-1 integrase by the N-end rule pathway

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) integrase catalyzes the irreversible insertion of the viral genome into host chromosomal DNA. We have developed a mammalian expression system for the synthesis of authentic HIV-1 integrase in the absence of other viral proteins. Integrase, which bears a N-terminal phenylalanine, was found to be a short-lived protein in human embryo kidney 293T cells. The degradation of integrase could be suppressed by proteasome inhibitors. N-terminal phenylalanine is recognized as a degradation signal by a ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic system known as the N-end rule pathway. The replacement of N-terminal phenylalanine with methionine, valine, or glycine, which are stabilizing residues in the N-end rule, resulted in metabolically stabilized integrase proteins (half-life of N-terminal Met-integrase was at least 3 h). Conversely, the substitution of N-terminal phenylalanine with other destabilizing residues retained the metabolic instability of integrase. These findings indicate that the HIV-1 integrase is a physiological substrate of the N-end rule. We discuss a possible functional similarity to the better understood turnover of the bacteriophage Mu transposase and functions of integrase instability to the maintenance and integrity of the host cell genome.     

Construction and Analysis of Mouse Strains Lacking the Ubiquitin Ligase UBR1 (E3α) of the N-End Rule Pathway

The N-end rule relates the in vivo half-life of a protein to the identity of its N-terminal residue. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the UBR1-encoded ubiquitin ligase (E3) of the N-end rule pathway mediates the targeting of substrate proteins in part through binding to their destabilizing N-terminal residues. The functions of the yeast N-end rule pathway include fidelity of chromosome segregation and the regulation of peptide import. Our previous work described the cloning of cDNA and a gene encoding the 200-kDa mouse UBR1 (E3alpha). Here we show that mouse UBR1, in the presence of a cognate mouse ubiquitin-conjugating (E2) enzyme, can rescue the N-end rule pathway in ubr1Delta S. cerevisiae. We also constructed UBR1(-/-) mouse strains that lacked the UBR1 protein. UBR1(-/-) mice were viable and fertile but weighed significantly less than congenic +/+ mice. The decreased mass of UBR1(-/-) mice stemmed at least in part from smaller amounts of the skeletal muscle and adipose tissues. The skeletal muscle of UBR1(-/-) mice apparently lacked the N-end rule pathway and exhibited abnormal regulation of fatty acid synthase upon starvation. By contrast, and despite the absence of the UBR1 protein, UBR1(-/-) fibroblasts contained the N-end rule pathway. Thus, UBR1(-/-) mice are mosaics in regard to the activity of this pathway, owing to differential expression of proteins that can substitute for the ubiquitin ligase UBR1 (E3alpha). We consider these UBR1-like proteins and discuss the functions of the mammalian N-end rule pathway.     

ClpS is the recognition component for Escherichia coli substrates of the N-end rule degradation pathway

The N-end rule degradation pathway states that the half-life of a protein is determined by the nature of its N-terminal residue. In Escherichia coli the adaptor protein ClpS directly interacts with destabilizing N-terminal residues and transfers them to the ClpA/ClpP proteolytic complex for degradation. The crucial role of ClpS in N-end rule degradation is currently under debate, since ClpA/ClpP was shown to process selected N-terminal degrons harbouring destabilizing residues in the absence of ClpS. Here, we investigated the contribution of ClpS to N-end rule degradation by two approaches. First, we performed a systematic mutagenesis of selected N-degron model substrates, demonstrating that ClpS but not ClpA specifically senses the nature of N-terminal residues. Second, we identified two natural N-end rule substrates of E. coli : Dps and PATase (YgjG). The in vivo degradation of both proteins strictly relied on ClpS, thereby establishing the function of ClpS as the essential discriminator of the E. coli N-end rule pathway.     

PINK1 is degraded through the N-end rule pathway

PINK1, a mitochondrial serine/threonine kinase, is the product of a gene mutated in an autosomal recessive form of Parkinson disease. PINK1 is constitutively degraded by an unknown mechanism and stabilized selectively on damaged mitochondria where it can recruit the E3 ligase PARK2/PARKIN to induce mitophagy. Here, we show that, under steady-state conditions, endogenous PINK1 is constitutively and rapidly degraded by E3 ubiquitin ligases UBR1, UBR2 and UBR4 through the N-end rule pathway. Following precursor import into mitochondria, PINK1 is cleaved in the transmembrane segment by a mitochondrial intramembrane protease PARL generating an N-terminal destabilizing amino acid and then retrotranslocates from mitochondria to the cytosol for N-end recognition and proteasomal degradation. Thus, sequential actions of mitochondrial import, PARL-processing, retrotranslocation and recognition by N-end rule E3 enzymes for the ubiquitin proteosomal degradation defines the rapid PINK1 turnover. PINK1 steady-state elimination by the N-end rule identifies a novel organelle to cytoplasm turnover pathway that yields a mechanism to flag damaged mitochondria for autophagic elimination.     

Degradation of DIAP1 by the N-end rule pathway is essential for regulating apoptosis

Some members of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein family block apoptosis by binding to and neutralizing active caspases. We recently demonstrated that a physical association between IAP and caspases alone is insufficient to regulate caspases in vivo and that an additional level of control is provided by IAP-mediated ubiquitination of both itself and the associated caspases. Here we show that Drosophila IAP 1 (DIAP1) is degraded by the 'N-end rule' pathway and that this process is indispensable for regulating apoptosis. Caspase-mediated cleavage of DIAP1 at position 20 converts the more stable pro-N-degron of DIAP1 into the highly unstable, Asn-bearing, DIAP1 N-degron of the N-end rule degradation pathway. Thus, DIAP1 represents the first known metazoan substrate of the N-end rule pathway that is targeted for degradation through its amino-terminal Asn residue. We demonstrate that the N-end rule pathway is required for regulation of apoptosis induced by Reaper and Hid expression in the Drosophila melanogaster eye. Our data suggest that DIAP1 instability, mediated through caspase activity and subsequent exposure of the N-end rule pathway, is essential for suppression of apoptosis. We suggest that DIAP1 safeguards cell viability through the coordinated mutual destruction of itself and associated active caspases.     

Rapid recruitment of BRCA1 to DNA double-strand breaks is dependent on its association with Ku80

BRCA1 is the first susceptibility gene to be linked to breast and ovarian cancers. Although mounting evidence has indicated that BRCA1 participates in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways, its precise mechanism is still unclear. Here, we analyzed the in situ response of BRCA1 at DSBs produced by laser microirradiation. The amino (N)- and carboxyl (C)-terminal fragments of BRCA1 accumulated independently at DSBs with distinct kinetics. The N-terminal BRCA1 fragment accumulated immediately after laser irradiation at DSBs and dissociated rapidly. In contrast, the C-terminal fragment of BRCA1 accumulated more slowly at DSBs but remained at the sites. Interestingly, rapid accumulation of the BRCA1 N terminus, but not the C terminus, at DSBs depended on Ku80, which functions in the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway, independently of BARD1, which binds to the N terminus of BRCA1. Two small regions in the N terminus of BRCA1 independently accumulated at DSBs and interacted with Ku80. Missense mutations found within the N terminus of BRCA1 in cancers significantly changed the kinetics of its accumulation at DSBs. A P142H mutant failed to associate with Ku80 and restore resistance to irradiation in BRCA1-deficient cells. These might provide a molecular basis of the involvement of BRCA1 in the NHEJ pathway of the DSB repair process.     

Modulation of SQSTM1/p62 activity by N-terminal arginylation of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone HSPA5/GRP78/BiP

The N-end rule pathway is a proteolytic system, in which single N-terminal residues act as a determinant of a class of degrons, called N-degrons. In the ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system, specific recognition components, called N-recognins, recognize N-degrons and accelerate polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of the substrates. In this study, we show that the pathway regulates the activity of the macroautophagic receptor SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1) through N-terminal arginylation (Nt-arginylation) of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-residing molecular chaperones, including HSPA5/GRP78/BiP, CALR (calreticulin), and PDI (protein disulfide isomerase). The arginylation is co-induced with macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) as part of innate immunity to cytosolic DNA and when misfolded proteins accumulate under proteasomal inhibition. Following cytosolic relocalization and arginylation, Nt-arginylated HSPA5 (R-HSPA5) is targeted to autophagosomes and degraded by lysosomal hydrolases through the interaction of its N-terminal Arg (Nt-Arg) with ZZ domain of SQSTM1. Upon binding to Nt-Arg, SQSTM1 undergoes a conformational change, which promotes SQSTM1 self-polymerization and interaction with LC3, leading to SQSTM1 targeting to autophagosomes. Cargoes of R-HSPA5 include cytosolic misfolded proteins destined to be degraded through autophagy. Here, we discuss the mechanisms by which the N-end rule pathway regulates SQSTM1-dependent selective autophagy.     

Altered activity, social behavior, and spatial memory in mice lacking the NTAN1p amidase and the asparagine branch of the N-end rule pathway

The N-end rule relates the in vivo half-life of a protein to the identity of its N-terminal residue. N-terminal asparagine and glutamine are tertiary destabilizing residues, in that they are enzymatically deamidated to yield secondary destabilizing residues aspartate and glutamate, which are conjugated to arginine, a primary destabilizing residue. N-terminal arginine of a substrate protein is bound by the Ubr1-encoded E3alpha, the E3 component of the ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent N-end rule pathway. We describe the construction and analysis of mouse strains lacking the asparagine-specific N-terminal amidase (Nt(N)-amidase), encoded by the Ntan1 gene. In wild-type embryos, Ntan1 was strongly expressed in the branchial arches and in the tail and limb buds. The Ntan1(-/-) mouse strains lacked the Nt(N)-amidase activity but retained glutamine-specific Nt(Q)-amidase, indicating that the two enzymes are encoded by different genes. Among the normally short-lived N-end rule substrates, only those bearing N-terminal asparagine became long-lived in Ntan1(-/-) fibroblasts. The Ntan1(-/-) mice were fertile and outwardly normal but differed from their congenic wild-type counterparts in spontaneous activity, spatial memory, and a socially conditioned exploratory phenotype that has not been previously described with other mouse strains.     

Characterization of arginylation branch of N-end rule pathway in G-protein-mediated proliferation and signaling of cardiomyocytes

The N-end rule pathway is a proteolytic system in which destabilizing N-terminal amino acids of short lived proteins are recognized by recognition components (N-recognins) as an essential element of degrons, called N-degrons. In eukaryotes, the major way to generate N-degrons is through arginylation by ATE1 arginyl-tRNA-protein transferases, which transfer Arg from aminoacyl-tRNA to N-terminal Asp and Glu (and Cys as well in mammals). We have shown previously that ATE1-deficient mice die during embryogenesis with defects in cardiac and vascular development. Here, we characterized the arginylation-dependent N-end rule pathway in cardiomyocytes. Our results suggest that the cardiac and vascular defects in ATE1-deficient embryos are independent from each other and cell-autonomous. ATE1-deficient myocardium and cardiomyocytes therein, but not non-cardiomyocytes, showed reduced DNA synthesis and mitotic activity ~24 h before the onset of cardiac and vascular defects at embryonic day 12.5 associated with the impairment in the phospholipase C/PKC-MEK1-ERK axis of Gα(q)-mediated cardiac signaling pathways. Cardiac overexpression of Gα(q) rescued ATE1-deficient embryos from thin myocardium and ventricular septal defect but not from vascular defects, genetically dissecting vascular defects from cardiac defects. The misregulation in cardiovascular signaling can be attributed in part to the failure in hypoxia-sensitive degradation of RGS4, a GTPase-activating protein for Gα(q). This study is the first to characterize the N-end rule pathway in cardiomyocytes and reveals the role of its arginylation branch in Gα(q)-mediated signaling of cardiomyocytes in part through N-degron-based, oxygen-sensitive proteolysis of G-protein regulators.     

Cytosolic PINK1 promotes the targeting of ubiquitinated proteins to the aggresome-autophagy pathway during proteasomal stress

During proteasomal stress, cells can alleviate the accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins by targeting them to perinuclear aggresomes for autophagic degradation, but the mechanism underlying the activation of this compensatory pathway remains unclear. Here we report that PINK1-s, a short form of Parkinson disease (PD)-related protein kinase PINK1 (PTEN induced putative kinase 1), is a major regulator of aggresome formation. PINK1-s is extremely unstable due to its recognition by the N-end rule pathway, and tends to accumulate in the cytosol during proteasomal stress. Overexpression of PINK1-s induces aggresome formation in cells with normal proteasomal activities, while loss of PINK1-s function leads to a significant decrease in the efficiency of aggresome formation induced by proteasomal inhibition. PINK1-s exerts its effect through phosphorylation of the ubiquitin-binding protein SQSTM1 (sequestosome 1) and increasing its ability to sequester polyubiquitinated proteins into aggresomes. These findings pinpoint PINK1-s as a sensor of proteasomal activities that transduces the proteasomal impairment signal to the aggresome formation machinery.     

Stability of the Listeria monocytogenes ActA protein in mammalian cells is regulated by the N-end rule pathway

Upon infection of mammalian cells, Listeria monocytogenes lyses the phagosome and enters the cytosol, where it secretes proteins necessary for its intracellular growth cycle. Consequently, bacterial proteins exposed to the cytosol are potential targets for degradation by host cytosolic proteases. One pathway for degradation of host cytosolic proteins, the N-end rule pathway, involves recognition of the N-terminal amino acid and is mediated by the proteasome. However, very few natural N-end rule substrates have been identified. We have examined the L. monocytogenes ActA protein as a potential target for this pathway. ActA is an essential determinant of L. monocytogenes pathogenesis that is required to induce actin-based motility and cell-to-cell spread. We show that the half-life of a secreted form of ActA can be altered in the mammalian cytosol by changing the N-terminal amino acid. Moreover, the introduction of a destabilizing N-terminus into the functional, surface-bound form of ActA results in a small-plaque phenotype in L2 cells, which is partially reversible by an inhibitor of the proteasome. These results indicate that the L. monocytogenes ActA protein is a natural N-end rule substrate, and that optimal function of ActA in mediating cell-to-cell spread is dependent upon its intracellular turnover rate.     

The N-end rule pathway controls the import of peptides through degradation of a transcriptional repressor.

Ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic systems underlie many processes, including the cell cycle, cell differentiation and responses to stress. One such system is the N-end rule pathway, which targets proteins bearing destabilizing N-terminal residues. Here we report that Ubr1p, the main recognition component of this pathway, regulates peptide import in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae through degradation of Cup9p, a 35 kDa homeodomain protein. Cup9p was identified using a screen for mutants that bypass the previously observed requirement for Ubr1p in peptide import. We show that Cup9p is a short-lived protein (t1/2 approximately 5 min) whose degradation requires Ubr1p. Cup9p acts as a repressor of PTR2, a gene encoding the transmembrane peptide transporter. In contrast to engineered N-end rule substrates, which are recognized by Ubr1p through their destabilizing N-terminal residues, Cup9p is targeted by Ubr1p through an internal degradation signal. The Ubr1p-Cup9p-Ptr2p circuit is the first example of a physiological process controlled by the N-end rule pathway. An earlier study identified Cup9p as a protein required for an aspect of resistance to copper toxicity in S.cerevisiae. Thus, one physiological substrate of the N-end rule pathway functions as both a repressor of peptide import and a regulator of copper homeostasis.     

Ser(120) of Ubc2/Rad6 regulates ubiquitin-dependent N-end rule targeting by E3{alpha}/Ubr1

In CHO cells, CDK1/2-dependent phosphorylation of Ubc2/Rad6 at Ser(120) stimulates its ubiquitin conjugating activity and can be replicated by a S120D point mutant (Sarcevic, B., Mawson, A., Baker, R. T., and Sutherland, R. L. (2002) EMBO J. 21, 2009-2018). In contrast, we find that ectopic expression of wild type Ubc2b but not Ubc2bS120D or Ubc2bS120A in T47D human breast cancer cells specifically stimulates N-end rule-dependent degradation but not the Ubc2-independent unfolded protein response pathway, indicating that the former is E2 limiting in vivo and likely down-regulated by Ser(120) phosphorylation, as modeled by the S120D point mutation. In vitro kinetic analysis shows the in vivo phenotype of Ubc2bS120D and Ubc2bS120A is not due to differences in activating enzyme-catalyzed E2 transthiolation. However, the Ser(120) mutants possess marked differences in their abilities to support in vitro conjugation by the N-end rule-specific E3α/Ubr1 ligase that presumably accounts for their in vivo effects. Initial rate kinetics of human E3α-catalyzed conjugation of the human α-lactalbumin N-end rule substrate shows Ubc2bS120D is 20-fold less active than wild type E2, resulting from an 8-fold increase in K(m) and a 2.5-fold decrease in V(max), the latter reflecting a decreased ability to support the initial step in target protein conjugation; Ubc2bS120A is 8-fold less active than wild type E2 due almost exclusively to a decrease in V(max), reflecting a defect in polyubiquitin chain elongation. These studies suggest a mechanism for the integrated regulation of diverse ubiquitin-dependent signaling pathways through E2 phosphorylation that yields differential effects on its cognate ligases.     

Host protein Ku70 binds and protects HIV-1 integrase from proteasomal degradation and is required for HIV replication

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is a key viral enzymatic protein acting in several viral replication steps, including integration. IN has been shown to be an unstable protein degraded by the N-end rule pathway through the host ubiquitin-proteasome machinery. However, it is still not fully understood how this viral protein is protected from the host ubiquitin-proteasome system within cells during HIV replication. In the present study, we provide evidence that the host protein Ku70 interacts with HIV-1 IN and protects it from the Lys(48)-linked polyubiquitination proteasomal pathway. Moreover, Ku70 is able to down-regulate the overall protein polyubiquitination level within the host cells and to specifically deubiquitinate IN through their interaction. Mutagenic studies revealed that the C terminus of IN (residues 230-288) is required for IN binding to the N-terminal part of Ku70 (Ku70(1-430)), and their interaction is independent of Ku70/80 heterodimerization. Finally, knockdown of Ku70 expression in both virus-producing and target CD4(+) T cells significantly disrupted HIV-1 replication and rendered two-long terminal repeat circles and integration undetectable, indicating that Ku70 is required for both the early and the late stages of the HIV-1 life cycle. Interestingly, Ku70 was incorporated into the progeny virus in an IN-dependent way. We proposed that Ku70 may interact with IN during viral assembly and accompany HIV-1 IN upon entry into the new target cells, acting to 1) protect IN from the host defense system and 2) assist IN integration activity. Overall, this report provides another example of how HIV-1 hijacks host cellular machinery to protect the virus itself and to facilitate its replication.     

Tuning the strength of a bacterial N-end rule degradation signal

The N-end rule is a degradation pathway conserved from bacteria to mammals that links a protein's stability in vivo to the identity of its N-terminal residue. In Escherichia coli, the components of this pathway directly responsible for protein degradation are the ClpAP protease and its adaptor ClpS. We recently demonstrated that ClpAP is able to recognize N-end motifs in the absence of ClpS although with significantly reduced substrate affinity. In this study, a systematic sequence analysis reveals new features of N-end rule degradation signals. To achieve specificity, recognition of an N-end motif by the protease-adaptor complex uses both the identity of the N-terminal residue and a free alpha-amino group. Acidic residues near the first residue decrease substrate affinity, demonstrating that the identity of adjacent residues can affect recognition although significant flexibility is tolerated. However, shortening the distance between the N-end residue and the stably folded portion of a protein prevents degradation entirely, indicating that an N-end signal alone is not always sufficient for degradation. Together, these data define in vitro the sequence and structural requirements for the function of bacterial N-end signals.     

Regulation of autophagic proteolysis by the N-recognin SQSTM1/p62 of the N-end rule pathway

In macroautophagy/autophagy, cargoes are collected by specific receptors, such as SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1), and delivered to phagophores for lysosomal degradation. To date, little is known about how cells modulate SQSTM1 activity and autophagosome biogenesis in response to accumulating cargoes. In this study, we show that SQSTM1 is an N-recognin whose ZZ domain binds N-terminal arginine (Nt-Arg) and other N-degrons (Nt-Lys, Nt-His, Nt-Trp, Nt-Phe, and Nt-Tyr) of the N-end rule pathway. The substrates of SQSTM1 include the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-residing chaperone HSPA5/GRP78/BiP. Upon N-end rule interaction with the Nt-Arg of arginylated HSPA5 (R-HSPA5), SQSTM1 undergoes self-polymerization via disulfide bonds of Cys residues including Cys113, facilitating cargo collection. In parallel, Nt-Arg-bound SQSTM1 acts as an inducer of autophagosome biogenesis and autophagic flux. Through this dual regulatory mechanism, SQSTM1 plays a key role in the crosstalk between the ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy. Based on these results, we employed 3D-modeling of SQSTM1 and a virtual chemical library to develop small molecule ligands to the ZZ domain of SQSTM1. These autophagy inducers accelerated the autophagic removal of mutant HTT (huntingtin) aggregates. We suggest that SQSTM1 can be exploited as a novel drug target to modulate autophagic processes in pathophysiological conditions.