Role of the Arabidopsis RING-H2 protein RBX1 in RUB modification and SCF function

The ubiquitin-related protein RUB/Nedd8 is conjugated to members of the cullin family of proteins in plants, animals, and fungi. In Arabidopsis, the RUB conjugation pathway consists of a heterodimeric E1 (AXR1-ECR1) and a RUB-E2 called RCE1. The cullin CUL1 is a subunit in SCF-type ubiquitin protein ligases (E3s), including the SCF(TIR1) complex, which is required for response to the plant hormone auxin. Our previous studies showed that conjugation of RUB to CUL1 is required for normal SCF(TIR1) function. The RING-H2 finger protein RBX1 is a subunit of SCF complexes in fungi and animals. The function of RBX1 is to bind the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 and bring it into close proximity with the E3 substrate. We have identified two Arabidopsis genes encoding RING-H2 proteins related to human RBX1. Studies of one of these proteins indicate that, as in animals and fungi, Arabidopsis RBX1 is an SCF subunit. Reduced RBX1 levels result in severe defects in growth and development. Overexpression of RBX1 increases RUB modification of CUL1. This effect is associated with reduced auxin response and severe growth defects similar to those observed in axr1 mutants. As in the axr1 mutants, RBX1 overexpression stabilizes the SCF(TIR1) substrate AXR2/IAA7. The RBX1 protein is a component of SCF complexes in Arabidopsis. In addition to its direct role in SCF E3 ligase activity, RBX1 promotes the RUB modification of CUL1 and probably functions as an E3 ligase in the RUB pathway. Hypermodification of CUL1 disrupts SCF(TIR1) function, suggesting that cycles of RUB conjugation and removal are important for SCF activity.     

CUL1 regulates TOC1 protein stability in the Arabidopsis circadian clock

The circadian clock is the endogenous timer that coordinates physiological processes with daily and seasonal environmental changes. In Arabidopsis thaliana , establishment of the circadian period relies on targeted degradation of TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1 (TOC1) by the 26S proteasome. ZEITLUPE (ZTL) is the F-box protein that associates with the SCF (Skp/Cullin/F-box) E3 ubiquitin ligase that is responsible for marking TOC1 for turnover. CULLIN1 (CUL1) is a core component of SCF complexes and is involved in multiple signaling pathways. To assess the contribution of CUL1-containing SCF complexes to signaling within the plant oscillator, circadian rhythms were examined in the recessive, temperature-sensitive CUL1 allele axr6-3 . The activity of CUL1 in this mutant declines progressively with increasing ambient temperature, resulting in more severe defects in CUL1-dependent activities at elevated temperature. Examination of circadian rhythms in axr6-3 revealed circadian phenotypes comparable to those observed in ztl null mutants; namely, lengthened circadian period, altered expression of core oscillator genes, and limited degradation of TOC1. In addition, treatment of seedlings with exogenous auxin did not alter TOC1 stability. These results demonstrate that CUL1 is required for TOC1 degradation and further suggest that this protein is the functional cullin for the SCF^ZTL complex.     

Arabidopsis AXR6 encodes CUL1 implicating SCF E3 ligases in auxin regulation of embryogenesis

The AXR6 gene is required for auxin signaling in the Arabidopsis embryo and during postembryonic development. One of the effects of auxin is to stimulate degradation of the Aux/IAA auxin response proteins through the action of the ubiquitin protein ligase SCF(TIR1). Here we show that AXR6 encodes the SCF subunit CUL1. The axr6 mutations affect the ability of mutant CUL1 to assemble into stable SCF complexes resulting in reduced degradation of the SCF(TIR1) substrate AXR2/IAA7. In addition, we show that CUL1 is required for lateral organ initiation in the shoot apical meristem and the inflorescence meristem. These results indicate that the embryonic axr6 phenotype is related to a defect in SCF function and accumulation of Aux/IAA proteins such as BDL/IAA12. In addition, we show that CUL1 has a role in auxin response throughout the life cycle of the plant.     

Arabidopsis CUL3A and CUL3B genes are essential for normal embryogenesis

Cullin (CUL)-dependent ubiquitin ligases form a class of structurally related multisubunit enzymes that control the rapid and selective degradation of important regulatory proteins involved in cell cycle progression and development, among others. The CUL3-BTB ligases belong to this class of enzymes and despite recent findings on their molecular composition, our knowledge on their functions and substrates remains still very limited. In contrast to budding and fission yeast, CUL3 is an essential gene in metazoans. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana encodes two related CUL3 genes, called CUL3A and CUL3B. We recently reported that cul3a loss-of-function mutants are viable but exhibit a mild flowering and light sensitivity phenotype. We investigated the spatial and temporal expression of the two CUL3 genes in reproductive tissues and found that their expression patterns are largely overlapping suggesting possible functional redundancy. Thus, we investigated the consequences on plant development of combined Arabidopsis cul3a cul3b loss-of-function mutations. Homozygous cul3b mutant plants developed normally and were fully fertile. However, the disruption of both the CUL3A and CUL3B genes reduced gametophytic transmission and caused embryo lethality. The observed embryo abortion was found to be under maternal control. Arrest of embryogenesis occurred at multiple stages of embryo development, but predominantly at the heart stage. At the cytological level, CUL3 loss-of-function mutations affected both embryo pattern formation and endosperm development.     

Arabidopsis CAND1, an unmodified CUL1-interacting protein, is involved in multiple developmental pathways controlled by ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated protein Degradation

Ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated protein degradation controls various developmental pathways in eukaryotes. Cullin-containing complexes are both versatile and abundant groups of RING family ubiquitin E3 ligases, whose activities are subject to control by RUB/Nedd8 (for related to ubiquitin/neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 8) modification of their cullin subunits. Here, we report the identification of an Arabidopsis thaliana counterpart of human CAND1 (cullin-associated and neddylation-dissociated) and demonstrate that it can preferentially interact with unmodified CUL1. The Arabidopsis cand1-1 null mutant displays distinct phenotypes, including late flowering, aerial rosettes, floral organ defects, low fertility, dwarfism, loss of apical dominance, and altered responses to multiple plant hormones. Molecular analyses show that many of these defects are because of compromised activity of CUL1-containing ubiquitin E3 ligases, indicating that CAND1 is required for their optimal activity. Furthermore, the cand1-1 mutant displays a partial constitutive photomorphogenic phenotype and has defects in HY5 degradation in the absence of light, a process mediated by a different RING family E3, COP1. Thus, our data provides genetic support for a critical role of CAND1 in regulating various ubiquitin E3 ligases and their targeted cellular and developmental pathways.     

AXL and AXR1 have redundant functions in RUB conjugation and growth and development in Arabidopsis

Cullin-RING ubiquitin-protein ligases such as the Skp1, cullin, F-box protein (SCF) have been implicated in many growth and developmental processes in plants. Normal SCF function requires that the CUL1 subunit be post-translationally modified by related to ubiquitin (RUB), a protein related to ubiquitin. This process is mediated by two enzymes: the RUB-activating and RUB-conjugating enzymes. In Arabidopsis, the RUB-activating enzyme is a heterodimer consisting of AXR1 and ECR1. Mutations in the AXR1 gene result in a pleiotropic phenotype that includes resistance to the plant hormone auxin. Here we report that the AXL (AXR1-like) gene also functions in the RUB conjugation pathway. Overexpression of AXL in the axr1-3 background complements the axr1-3 phenotype. Biochemical analysis indicates that AXL overexpression restores CUL1 modification to the wild-type level, indicating that AXR1 and AXL have the same biochemical activity. Although the axl mutant resembles wild-type plants, the majority of axr1 axl-1 double mutants are embryo or seedling lethal. Furthermore, the axl-1 mutation reveals novel RUB-dependent processes in embryo development. We conclude that AXR1 and AXL function redundantly in the RUB conjugating pathway.     

Molecular and functional characterization of Arabidopsis Cullin 3A

Cullin proteins, which belong to multigenic families in all eukaryotes, associate with other proteins to form ubiquitin protein ligases (E3s) that target substrates for proteolysis by the 26S proteasome. Here, we present the molecular and genetic characterization of a plant Cullin3. In contrast to fungi and animals, the genome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana contains two related CUL3 genes, called CUL3A and CUL3B. We found that CUL3A is ubiquitously expressed in plants and is able to interact with the ring-finger protein RBX1. A genomic search revealed the existence of at least 76 BTB-domain proteins in Arabidopsis belonging to 11 major families. Yeast two-hybrid experiments indicate that representative members of certain families are able to physically interact with both CUL3A and CUL3B, suggesting that Arabidopsis CUL3 forms E3 protein complexes with certain BTB domain proteins. In order to determine the function of CUL3A, we used a reverse genetic approach. The cul3a null mutant flowers slightly later than the control plants. Furthermore, this mutant exhibits a reduced sensitivity of the inhibition of hypocotyl growth in far-red light and miss-expresses COP1. The viability of the mutant plants suggests functional redundancy between the two CUL3 genes in Arabidopsis.     

The RUB/Nedd8 conjugation pathway is required for early development in Arabidopsis

The related-to-ubiquitin (RUB) protein is post-translationally conjugated to the cullin subunit of the SCF (SKP1, Cullin, F-box) class of ubiquitin protein ligases. Although the precise biochemical function of RUB modification is unclear, studies indicate that the modification is important for SCF function. In Arabidopsis, RUB modification of CUL1 is required for normal function of SCF(TIR1), an E3 required for response to the plant hormone auxin. In this report we show that an Arabidopsis protein called RCE1 functions as a RUB-conjugating enzyme in vivo. A mutation in the RCE1 gene results in a phenotype like that of the axr1 mutant. Most strikingly, plants deficient in both RCE1 and AXR1 have an embryonic phenotype similar to mp and bdl mutants, previously shown to be deficient in auxin signaling. Based on these results, we suggest that the RUB-conjugation pathway is required for auxin-dependent pattern formation in the developing embryo. In addition, we show that RCE1 interacts directly with the RING protein RBX1 and is present in a stable complex with SCF. We propose that RBX1 functions as an E3 for RUB modification of CUL1.     

The COP9 signalosome interacts with SCF UFO and participates in Arabidopsis flower development

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is involved in multiple developmental processes. It interacts with SCF ubiquitin ligases and deconjugates Nedd8/Rub1 from cullins (deneddylation). CSN is highly expressed in Arabidopsis floral tissues. To investigate the role of CSN in flower development, we examined the expression pattern of CSN in developing flowers. We report here that two csn1 partially deficient Arabidopsis strains exhibit aberrant development of floral organs, decline of APETALA3 (AP3) expression, and low fertility in addition to defects in shoot and inflorescence meristems. We show that UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO) forms a SCF(UFO) complex, which is associated with CSN in vivo. Genetic interaction analysis indicates that CSN is necessary for the gain-of-function activity of the F-box protein UFO in AP3 activation and in floral organ transformation. Compared with the previously reported csn5 antisense and csn1 null mutants, partial deficiency of CSN1 causes a reduction in the level of CUL1 in the mutant flowers without an obvious defect in CUL1 deneddylation. We conclude that CSN is an essential regulator of Arabidopsis flower development and suggest that CSN regulates Arabidopsis flower development in part by modulating SCF(UFO)-mediated AP3 activation.     

Plant ubiquitylation and proteolytic systems, the key elements in hormonal signaling pathways

The general function of the ubiquitylation systems is to conjugate ubiquitin to lysine residues within substrate proteins, thus targeting them for degradation by the proteasome. In Arabidopsis thaliana more than 1300 genes (approximately 5% of the proteome) encode components of the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway. Approximately 90% of these genes encode subunits of the E3 ubiquitin ligases, which confer substrate specificity to the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway. The plant E3 ubiquitin ligases comprise a large and diverse family of proteins or protein complexes containing either a HECT domain, a RING-finger or U-box domain. The SCF class of E3 ligases is the most thoroughly studied in plants because some of them participate in regulation of hormone signaling pathways. The role of the SCF is to ubiquitylate repressors of hormone response (auxin, gibberellins), whereas in response to ethylene, abscisic acid and brassinosteroids the SCF participate in degradation of positive regulators in the absence of the hormone.     

Light Regulates the RUBylation Levels of Individual Cullin Proteins in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis>

In plants, the small protein related to ubiquitin (RUB) modifies cullin (CUL) proteins in ubiquitin E3 ligases to allow for efficient transfer of ubiquitin to substrate proteins for degradation by the 26S proteasome. At the molecular level, the conjugation of RUB to individual CUL proteins is transient in nature, which aids in the stability of the cullins and adaptor proteins. Many changes in cellular processes occur within the plant upon exposure to light, including well-documented changes in the stability of individual proteins. However, overall activity of E3 ligases between dark- and light-grown seedlings has not been assessed in plants. In order to understand more about the activity of the protein degradation pathway, overall levels of RUB-modified CULs were measured in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings growing in different light conditions. We found that light influenced the global levels of RUBylation on CULs, but not uniformly. Blue light had little effect on both Cul1 and Cul3 RUBylation levels. However, red light directed the increase in Cul3 RUBylation levels, but not Cul1. This red-light regulation of Cul3 was at least partially dependent on the activation of the phytochrome B signaling pathway. The results indicate that the RUBylation levels on individual CULs change in response to different light conditions, which enable plants to fine-tune their growth and development to the various light environments.     

TIP120A associates with cullins and modulates ubiquitin ligase activity

The cullin-containing ubiquitin-protein isopeptide ligases (E3s) play an important role in regulating the abundance of key proteins involved in cellular processes such as cell cycle and cytokine signaling. They have multisubunit modular structures in which substrate recognition and the catalysis of ubiquitination are carried out by distinct polypeptides. In a search for proteins involved in regulation of cullin-containing E3 ubiquitin ligases we immunopurified CUL4B-containing complex from HeLa cells and identified TIP120A as an associated protein by mass spectrometry. Immunoprecipitation of cullins revealed that all cullins tested specifically interacted with TIP120A. Reciprocal immunoaffinity purification of TIP120A confirmed the stable interaction of TIP120A with cullin family proteins. TIP120A formed a complex with CUL1 and Rbx1, but interfered with the binding of Skp1 and F-box proteins to CUL1. TIP120A greatly reduced the ubiquitination of phosphorylated IkappaBalpha by SCF(beta-TrCP) ubiquitin ligase. These results suggest that TIP120A functions as a negative regulator of SCF E3 ubiquitin ligases and may modulate other cullin ligases in a similar fashion.     

Protein interaction analysis of SCF ubiquitin E3 ligase subunits from Arabidopsis

Ubiquitin E3 ligases are a diverse family of protein complexes that mediate the ubiquitination and subsequent proteolytic turnover of proteins in a highly specific manner. Among the several classes of ubiquitin E3 ligases, the Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF) class is generally comprised of three 'core' subunits: Skp1 and Cullin, plus at least one F-box protein (FBP) subunit that imparts specificity for the ubiquitination of selected target proteins. Recent genetic and biochemical evidence in Arabidopsis thaliana suggests that post-translational turnover of proteins mediated by SCF complexes is important for the regulation of diverse developmental and environmental response pathways. In this report, we extend upon a previous annotation of the Arabidopsis Skp1-like (ASK) and FBP gene families to include the Cullin family of proteins. Analysis of the protein interaction profiles involving the products of all three gene families suggests a functional distinction between ASK proteins in that selected members of the protein family interact generally while others interact more specifically with members of the F-box protein family. Analysis of the interaction of Cullins with FBPs indicates that CUL1 and CUL2, but not CUL3A, persist as components of selected SCF complexes, suggesting some degree of functional specialization for these proteins. Yeast two-hybrid analyses also revealed binary protein interactions between selected members of the FBP family in Arabidopsis. These and related results are discussed in terms of their implications for subunit composition, stoichiometry and functional diversity of SCF complexes in Arabidopsis.     

Arabidopsis has two redundant Cullin3 proteins that are essential for embryo development and that interact with RBX1 and BTB proteins to form multisubunit E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes in vivo

Cullin-based E3 ubiquitin ligases play important roles in the regulation of diverse developmental processes and environmental responses in eukaryotic organisms. Recently, it was shown in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mammals that Cullin3 (CUL3) directly associates with RBX1 and BTB domain proteins in vivo to form a new family of E3 ligases, with the BTB protein subunit functioning in substrate recognition. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana has two redundant CUL3 (AtCUL3) genes that are essential for embryo development. Besides supporting anticipated specific AtCUL3 interactions with the RING protein AtRBX1 and representative Arabidopsis proteins containing a BTB domain in vitro, we show that AtCUL3 cofractionates and specifically associates with AtRBX1 and a representative BTB protein in vivo. Similar to the AtCUL1 subunit of the SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein-type E3 ligases, the AtCUL3 subunit of the BTB-containing E3 ligase complexes is subjected to modification and possible regulation by the ubiquitin-like protein Related to Ubiquitin in vivo. Together with the presence of large numbers of BTB proteins with diverse structural features and expression patterns, our data suggest that Arabidopsis has conserved AtCUL3-RBX1-BTB protein E3 ubiquitin ligases to target diverse protein substrates for degradation by the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway.     

Characterization of a novel temperature-sensitive allele of the CUL1/AXR6 subunit of SCF ubiquitin-ligases

Selective protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway has emerged as a key regulatory mechanism in a wide variety of cellular processes. The selective components of this pathway are the E3 ubiquitin-ligases which act downstream of the ubiquitin-activating and -conjugating enzymes to identify specific substrates for ubiquitinylation. SCF-type ubiquitin-ligases are the most abundant class of E3 enzymes in Arabidopsis. In a genetic screen for enhancers of the tir1-1 auxin response defect, we identified eta1/axr6-3, a recessive and temperature-sensitive mutation in the CUL1 core component of the SCF(TIR1) complex. The axr6-3 mutation interferes with Skp1 binding, thus preventing SCF complex assembly. axr6-3 displays a pleiotropic phenotype with defects in numerous SCF-regulated pathways including auxin signaling, jasmonate signaling, flower development, and photomorphogenesis. We used axr6-3 as a tool for identifying pathways likely to be regulated by SCF-mediated proteolysis and propose new roles for SCF regulation of the far-red light/phyA and sugar signaling pathways. The recessive inheritance and the temperature-sensitive nature of the pleiotropically acting axr6-3 mutation opens promising possibilities for the identification and investigation of SCF-regulated pathways in Arabidopsis.     

Characterization of Arabidopsis and rice DWD proteins and their roles as substrate receptors for CUL4-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases

A subset of WD40 proteins that contain a DWD motif (for DDB1 binding WD40) is reported to act as substrate receptors for DDB1-CUL4-ROC1 (for Damaged DNA Binding 1-Cullin 4-Regulator of Cullins 1) based E3 ubiquitin ligases in humans. Here, we report 85 Arabidopsis thaliana and 78 rice (Oryza sativa) proteins containing the conserved 16-amino acid DWD motif. We show by yeast two-hybrid and in vivo coimmunoprecipitation that 11 Arabidopsis DWD proteins directly interact with DDB1 and thus may serve as substrate receptors for the DDB1-CUL4 machinery. We further examine whether the DWD protein PRL1 (for Pleiotropic Regulatory Locus 1) may act as part of a CUL4-based E3 ligase. PRL1 directly interacts with DDB1, and prl1 and cul4cs mutants exhibited similar phenotypes, including altered responses to a variety of stimuli. Moreover, AKIN10 (for Arabidopsis SNF1 Kinase Homolog 10) was degraded more slowly in cell extracts of prl1 and cul4cs than in cell extracts of the wild type. Thus, both genetic and biochemical analyses support the conclusion that PRL1 is the substrate receptor of a CUL4-ROC1-DDB1-PRL1 E3 ligase involved in the degradation of AKIN10. This work adds a large new family to the current portfolio of plant E3 ubiquitin ligases.     

NEDD8 modification of CUL1 dissociates p120(CAND1), an inhibitor of CUL1-SKP1 binding and SCF ligases

Cullin proteins assemble a large number of RING E3 ubiquitin ligases and regulate various physiological processes. Covalent modification of cullins by the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 activates cullin ligases through an as yet undefined mechanism. We show here that p120(CAND1) selectively binds to unneddylated CUL1 and is dissociated by CUL1 neddylation. CAND1 formed a ternary complex with CUL1 and ROC1. CAND1 dissociated SKP1 from CUL1 and inhibited SCF ligase activity in vitro. Suppression of CAND1 in vivo increased the level of the CUL1-SKP1 complex. We suggest that by restricting SKP1-CUL1 interaction, CAND1 regulated the assembly of productive SCF ubiquitin ligases, allowing a common CUL1-ROC core to be utilized by a large number of SKP1-F box-substrate subcomplexes.