蛋白酶体结构和活性调节机制的研究进展

蛋白酶体负责细胞内绝大多数蛋白质的降解,几乎对生物体所有的生命活动都具有调控作用.蛋白酶体功能异常能够导致很多疾病.近期,研究者们在蛋白酶体的结构分析和活性调节机制等方面的研究都获得了重要的突破.本文综述了有关蛋白酶体结构和活性调控机制,包括转录调控、翻译后修饰、组装机制等的研究进展,这些对蛋白酶体新的认识将为蛋白酶体相关疾病的研究及相应药物的开发带来新的思路.对于目前蛋白酶体抑制剂的研发本文也做了简要的介绍.     

蛋白酶体相关翻译后修饰的研究进展

蛋白酶体是具有多种蛋白水解酶活性的蛋白质降解系统,由于细胞内许多关键信号调控分子都是蛋白酶体的降解底物,因此蛋白酶体在细胞周期调控、基因表达、炎症反应等各种关键的生物学活动中都发挥着极其重要的调节作用。蛋白酶体的降解活性也同时受多种机制的调控,其中的翻译后修饰是蛋白酶体降解途径中一个不可忽视的方面。着重阐述蛋白酶体自身及其底物的几种重要的翻译后修饰,探讨最新的进展及其生物学意义。     

蛋白酶体结构和功能研究进展

蛋白酶体是真核细胞内依赖ATP的蛋白质水解途径的重要成分,负责大多数细胞内蛋白质的降解. 20 S蛋白酶体有多种肽酶活性,其活性位点为Thr. 19 S复合物与20 S蛋白酶体结合成为26 S复合物,能降解泛素化蛋白.近几年来,蛋白酶体的分子组成、亚基、生化机理、胞内功能等方面的研究取得了明显进展.     

泛素-蛋白酶体系统对Aβ生成与代谢调控作用的研究进展

阿尔茨海默症(AD)是中枢神经系统退行性疾病,目前其确切发病机制未明,也无有效的治疗手段。淀粉样蛋白级联假说认为,β淀粉样蛋白(Aβ)是AD形成的关键因素。泛素-蛋白酶体系统(UPS)是胞内主要蛋白质质量控制系统,最近研究发现其可调控Aβ的生成和代谢,进而参与AD的发生。UPS可通过调控泛素化APP、β-分泌酶及γ-分泌酶各成分的代谢参与Aβ生成;同时UPS也是Aβ主要降解途径之一;而Aβ也可抑制UPS系统蛋白酶体活性。本文对此进行了综述。     

非泛素依赖地降解蛋白质研究进展

如何识别和选择性降解蛋白质是细胞生命过程中非常重要的环节,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,成为研究焦点.然而,很少关注蛋白酶体以非泛素依赖方式降解蛋白质的可能性.近年来,已发现不少蛋白质被蛋白酶体以非泛素依赖方式降解.该途径涉及降解某些短寿命的调节蛋白、错误折叠蛋白、衰老蛋白和氧化蛋白,以及新合成蛋白的"质量控制",并涉及病理过程如癌症、神经退行性疾病,所以具有非常重要的生理和病理作用.总结了近一二十年来发现的一些具有代表性的被蛋白酶体以非泛素依赖方式降解的蛋白质,并重点论述了其作用的分子机制,以期以点带面地展示这一领域的研究概况.     

PA200蛋白酶体介导蛋白质降解的功能及作用机制

蛋白酶体是一种由几十个亚基组成的庞大蛋白质复合物,负责细胞内大多数蛋白质及时、高效和不可逆地降解,因而调控众多关键的生命活动.同时,蛋白酶体也是重要的药物靶点,目前已经有多种蛋白酶体抑制剂用于治疗多发性骨髓癌和套细胞淋巴癌.迄今已发现三种蛋白酶体,分别为26S蛋白酶体、PA28蛋白酶体和PA200蛋白酶体.其中,最主要的类型是降解泛素化底物蛋白的26S蛋白酶体.作为免疫蛋白酶体的PA28蛋白酶体主要在抗原提呈中起着关键作用,而PA200蛋白酶体则可通过依赖于底物乙酰化的方式降解核心组蛋白.核心组蛋白的翻译后修饰模式可能作为表观遗传密码而指导基因表达的表观遗传调控.在睾丸中, PA200蛋白酶体因含有特异的α4s亚基而特化为生精蛋白酶体,为精子发生所必需.本文综述了PA200蛋白酶体分布、结构和组装机制,重点总结在核心组蛋白降解、精子发生、DNA损伤修复、衰老及表观遗传调控中的最新研究进展.这些对于PA200蛋白酶体的认识将为生殖、发育、衰老生理机制的解析,为男性不育、老年性相关疾病和癌症等疾病的诊断和治疗提供基础.     

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。     

泛素-蛋白酶体系统对烟粉虱体内番茄黄曲叶病毒的影响

【目的】泛素化修饰广泛参与细胞周期、信号传导、转录调控、免疫应答等多个方面,是细胞内一种非常重要的蛋白水平可逆修饰。但目前关于泛素-蛋白酶体系统是否参与介体昆虫传播病毒还鲜有报道。本研究旨在探索泛素-蛋白酶体系统在烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci传播番茄黄曲叶病毒(Tomato yellow leaf curl virus,TYLCV)过程中所起的作用。【方法】通过RT-qPCR分析取食感染TYLCV和不感染TYLCV番茄植物的烟粉虱成虫体内泛素和蛋白酶体亚基基因的表达,采用Western blot检测TYLCV侵染后烟粉虱成虫体内泛素蛋白含量的变化;饲喂抑制剂和注射双链RNA的方法抑制烟粉虱成虫体内蛋白酶体活性后,通过RT-qPCR测定其体内TYLCV含量的变化。【结果】烟粉虱成虫携带TYLCV后,泛素以及26S蛋白酶体亚基4、6B和β基因的表达量没有发生显著变化,体内游离泛素和缀合泛素的含量以及两者的比例也都没有显著改变,表明TYLCV侵染不会影响烟粉虱体内泛素-蛋白酶体的活性。但饲喂抑制剂(Bortezomib或MG132)或沉默Rpn11抑制蛋白酶体活性后,烟粉虱成虫体内的TYLCV含量显著升高。【结论】泛素-蛋白酶体系统对烟粉虱体内的TYLCV起负调控作用,该系统可能通过直接降解病毒或激活免疫反应等方式抑制病毒含量,进而帮助烟粉虱应对TYLCV带来的不利影响。     

泛素化修饰组学技术及其在疾病研究中的应用

泛素化修饰作为真核细胞内主要的蛋白质翻译后修饰之一，通过泛素-蛋白酶体系统(UPS)介导了细胞内的蛋白质特异性降解，同时广泛参与并调控细胞内基因转录、信号传导、DNA损伤与修复、细胞周期调控、应激反应甚至个体的免疫应答等几乎所有的生命活动过程。泛素-蛋白酶体系统的精确调控构成了稳定而复杂的泛素化信号网络，而其失调通常会造成癌症、神经退行性疾病、代谢性疾病等多种疾病的发生发展。近年来，基于质谱(MS)的蛋白质组学逐渐成熟，并极大促进了泛素化修饰研究的深度与广度。依托于泛素化蛋白质/肽段富集技术的发展以及高通量、高覆盖度和高灵敏度的质谱检测技术平台，蛋白质泛素化修饰组学也得以快速发展，并逐渐应用于人类生理、病理状态的泛素化蛋白质组研究和疾病发生发展的机制探索。本文主要综述了泛素化修饰组学研究中的泛素化蛋白质/肽段富集方法、质谱鉴定技术、定量标记技术和数据处理方法，同时对泛素化修饰组学技术在疾病研究中的应用也进行了系统分析，理清了当前存在的问题与挑战，为泛素化修饰蛋白质的发现与鉴定提供参考，为相关疾病治疗靶点的筛选和药物研发提供思路。     

衰老相关的蛋白稳态失衡

健康细胞利用一系列蛋白质质量调控网络来维持自身蛋白质组的稳定性和功能性,即维持蛋白稳态。但是在衰老过程中普遍出现蛋白稳态失衡的现象,其主要表现是蛋白质合成、折叠和降解之间的平衡被破坏。造成衰老相关蛋白稳态失衡的原因主要有：(1)应激反应相关途径的转录受到抑制;(2)蛋白酶体活性降低和自噬功能出现障碍;(3)核糖体翻译暂停。另外,在衰老过程中细胞主要通过蛋白稳态网络的分子伴侣、蛋白酶体、自噬系统等对蛋白稳态进行调节。本文对衰老过程中造成蛋白稳态失衡的诱因以及蛋白稳态调控的途径进行综述,以期为衰老研究和解决老年健康问题开拓新思路。     

Proteasomal ATPase-associated factor 1 negatively regulates proteasome activity by interacting with proteasomal ATPases

The 26S proteasome, composed of the 20S core and the 19S regulatory complex, plays a central role in ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis by catalyzing degradation of polyubiquitinated proteins. In a search for proteins involved in regulation of the proteasome, we affinity purified the 19S regulatory complex from HeLa cells and identified a novel protein of 43 kDa in size as an associated protein. Immunoprecipitation analyses suggested that this protein specifically interacted with the proteasomal ATPases. Hence the protein was named proteasomal ATPase-associated factor 1 (PAAF1). Immunoaffinity purification of PAAF1 confirmed its interaction with the 19S regulatory complex and further showed that the 19S regulatory complex bound with PAAF1 was not stably associated with the 20S core. Overexpression of PAAF1 in HeLa cells decreased the level of the 20S core associated with the 19S complex in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting that PAAF1 binding to proteasomal ATPases inhibited the assembly of the 26S proteasome. Proteasomal degradation assays using reporters based on green fluorescent protein revealed that overexpression of PAAF1 inhibited the proteasome activity in vivo. Furthermore, the suppression of PAAF1 expression that is mediated by small inhibitory RNA enhanced the proteasome activity. These results suggest that PAAF1 functions as a negative regulator of the proteasome by controlling the assembly/disassembly of the proteasome.     

The UNC-45 chaperone mediates sarcomere assembly through myosin degradation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Myosin motors are central to diverse cellular processes in eukaryotes. Homologues of the myosin chaperone UNC-45 have been implicated in the assembly and function of myosin-containing structures in organisms from fungi to humans. In muscle, the assembly of sarcomeric myosin is regulated to produce stable, uniform thick filaments. Loss-of-function mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans UNC-45 lead to decreased muscle myosin accumulation and defective thick filament assembly, resulting in paralyzed animals. We report that transgenic worms overexpressing UNC-45 also display defects in myosin assembly, with decreased myosin content and a mild paralysis phenotype. We find that the reduced myosin accumulation is the result of degradation through the ubiquitin/proteasome system. Partial proteasome inhibition is able to restore myosin protein and worm motility to nearly wild-type levels. These findings suggest a mechanism in which UNC-45-related proteins may contribute to the degradation of myosin in conditions such as heart failure and muscle wasting.     

20S proteasome differentially alters translation of different mRNAs via the cleavage of eIF4F and eIF3

The molecular basis for coordinated regulation of protein synthesis and degradation is not understood. Here we report that the 20S proteasome endoproteolytically cleaves the translation initiation factors eIF4G, a subunit of eIF4F, and eIF3a, a subunit of eIF3. The cleavage of eIF4G or eIF3a differentially affects the assembly of ribosomal preinitiation complexes on different cellular and viral mRNAs in an in vitro system containing pure components. Inhibition of proteolytic activity of the 20S proteasome with specific inhibitors prevents cleavage of both factors in vitro and in vivo, restores assembly of ribosomal complexes in vitro, and differentially affects translation of different mRNAs in vivo. These studies demonstrate the importance of the endoproteolytic activity of proteasomes in regulation of cellular processes and suggest a link between protein synthesis and degradation.     

alpha-Synuclein stimulates differentiation of osteosarcoma cells: relevance to down-regulation of proteasome activity

Because a limited study previously showed that alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn), the major pathogenic protein for Parkinson disease, was expressed in differentiating brain tumors as well as various peripheral cancers, the main objective of the present study was to determine whether alpha-syn might be involved in the regulation of tumor differentiation. For this purpose, alpha-syn and its non-amyloidogenic homologue beta-syn were stably transfected to human osteosarcoma MG63 cell line. Compared with beta-syn-overexpressing and vector-transfected cells, alpha-syn-overexpressing cells exhibited distinct features of differentiated osteoblastic phenotype, as shown by up-regulation of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin as well as inductive matrix mineralization. Further studies revealed that proteasome activity was significantly decreased in alpha-syn-overexpressing cells compared with other cell types, consistent with the fact that proteasome inhibitors stimulate differentiation of various osteoblastic cells. In alpha-syn-overexpressing cells, protein kinase C (PKC) activity was significantly decreased, and reactivation of PKC by phorbol ester significantly restored the proteasome activity and abrogated cellular differentiation. Moreover, activity of lysosome was up-regulated in alpha-syn-overexpressing cells, and treatment of these cells with autophagy-lysosomal inhibitors resulted in a decrease of proteasome activity associated with up-regulation of alpha-syn expression, leading to enhance cellular differentiation. Taken together, these results suggest that the stimulatory effect of alpha-syn on tumor differentiation may be attributed to down-regulation of proteasome, which is further modulated by alterations of various factors, such as protein kinase C signaling pathway and a autophagy-lysosomal degradation system. Thus, the mechanism of alpha-syn regulation of tumor differentiation and neuropathological effects of alpha-syn may considerably overlap with each other.     

Differential regulation of proteasome activity in the nucleus and the synaptic terminals

Proteasome is a multi-subunit proteolytic complex that degrades proteins covalently linked to multiple molecules of ubiquitin. Earlier studies showed a role for the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in several models of long-term memory and other forms of synaptic plasticity. In Aplysia, the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway has been shown to contribute to the induction of long-term facilitation. In other model systems, ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated proteolysis has also been shown to play a role in synapse development. Previous studies of synaptic plasticity focused on changes in components or the substrates of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in whole neurons. Modification of specific synapses would require precise spatial and temporal regulation of the components of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway within the subcellular compartments of neurons during learning. As a first step towards testing the idea of local regulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in neurons, we investigated proteasome activity in nuclear and synaptosomal fractions. Here we show that proteasome activity in the synaptic terminals is higher compared to the activity in the nucleus in the Aplysia nervous system as well as in the mouse brain. Furthermore, the proteasome activity in the two neuronal compartments is differentially modulated by protein kinases. Differential regulation of proteasome activity in neuronal compartments such as the synaptic terminals is likely to be a key mechanism underlying synapse-specific plasticity.     

The ubiquitin‐proteasome system in plant responses to environments

The ubiquitin‐proteasome system (UPS) is a rapid regulatory mechanism for selective protein degradation in plants and plays crucial roles in growth and development. There is increasing evidence that the UPS is also an integral part of plant adaptation to environmental stress, such as drought, salinity, cold, nutrient deprivation and pathogens. This review focuses on recent studies illustrating the important functions of the UPS components E2s, E3s and subunits of the proteasome and describes the regulation of proteasome activity during plant responses to environment stimuli. The future research hotspots and the potential for utilization of the UPS to improve plant tolerance to stress are discussed.     

Impaired methylation as a novel mechanism for proteasome suppression in liver cells

The proteasome is a multi-catalytic protein degradation enzyme that is regulated by ethanol-induced oxidative stress; such suppression is attributed to CYP2E1-generated metabolites. However, under certain conditions, it appears that in addition to oxidative stress, other mechanisms are also involved in proteasome regulation. This study investigated whether impaired protein methylation that occurs during exposure of liver cells to ethanol, may contribute to suppression of proteasome activity. We measured the chymotrypsin-like proteasome activity in Huh7CYP cells, hepatocytes, liver cytosols and nuclear extracts or purified 20S proteasome under conditions that maintain or prevent protein methylation. Reduction of proteasome activity of hepatoma cell and hepatocytes by ethanol or tubercidin was prevented by simultaneous treatment with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Moreover, the tubercidin-induced decline in proteasome activity occurred in both nuclear and cytosolic fractions. In vitro exposure of cell cytosolic fractions or highly purified 20S proteasome to low SAM:S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) ratios in the buffer also suppressed proteasome function, indicating that one or more methyltransferase(s) may be associated with proteasomal subunits. Immunoblotting a purified 20S rabbit red cell proteasome preparation using methyl lysine-specific antibodies revealed a 25 kDa proteasome subunit that showed positive reactivity with anti-methyl lysine. This reactivity was modified when 20S proteasome was exposed to differential SAM:SAH ratios. We conclude that impaired methylation of proteasome subunits suppressed proteasome activity in liver cells indicating an additional, yet novel mechanism of proteasome activity regulation by ethanol.     

蛋白酶体调节颗粒的结构生物学特征及其功能

蛋白酶体调节颗粒(regulatory particle,RP)参与调控许多重要信号通路的蛋白质降解,在维持细胞稳态中发挥重要作用.近年来,真核细胞蛋白酶体在癌症治疗中的作用机制及药物研发已引起了广泛关注,并有3种蛋白酶体抑制剂已用于临床治疗.随着蛋白酶体功能研究的不断深入,以及晶体学和冷冻电镜技术在其结构生物学研究中...