ATM engages autodegradation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1 after DNA damage

The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein kinase is a critical component of a DNA-damage response network configured to maintain genomic integrity. The abundance of an essential downstream effecter of this pathway, the tumor suppressor protein p53, is tightly regulated by controlled degradation through COP1 and other E3 ubiquitin ligases, such as MDM2 and Pirh2; however, the signal transduction pathway that regulates the COP1-p53 axis following DNA damage remains enigmatic. We observed that in response to DNA damage, ATM phosphorylated COP1 on Ser(387) and stimulated a rapid autodegradation mechanism. Ionizing radiation triggered an ATM-dependent movement of COP1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and ATM-dependent phosphorylation of COP1 on Ser(387) was both necessary and sufficient to disrupt the COP1-p53 complex and subsequently to abrogate the ubiquitination and degradation of p53. Furthermore, phosphorylation of COP1 on Ser(387) was required to permit p53 to become stabilized and to exert its tumor suppressor properties in response to DNA damage.     

Regulation of receptor fate by ubiquitination of activated beta 2-adrenergic receptor and beta-arrestin

Although trafficking and degradation of several membrane proteins are regulated by ubiquitination catalyzed by E3 ubiquitin ligases, there has been little evidence connecting ubiquitination with regulation of mammalian G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein)-coupled receptor (GPCR) function. Agonist stimulation of endogenous or transfected beta2-adrenergic receptors (beta2ARs) led to rapid ubiquitination of both the receptors and the receptor regulatory protein, beta-arrestin. Moreover, proteasome inhibitors reduced receptor internalization and degradation, thus implicating a role for the ubiquitination machinery in the trafficking of the beta2AR. Receptor ubiquitination required beta-arrestin, which bound to the E3 ubiquitin ligase Mdm2. Abrogation of beta-arrestin ubiquitination, either by expression in Mdm2-null cells or by dominant-negative forms of Mdm2 lacking E3 ligase activity, inhibited receptor internalization with marginal effects on receptor degradation. However, a beta2AR mutant lacking lysine residues, which was not ubiquitinated, was internalized normally but was degraded ineffectively. These findings delineate an adapter role of beta-arrestin in mediating the ubiquitination of the beta2AR and indicate that ubiquitination of the receptor and of beta-arrestin have distinct and obligatory roles in the trafficking and degradation of this prototypic GPCR.     

A p53 amino-terminal nuclear export signal inhibited by DNA damage-induced phosphorylation

The p53 protein is present in low amounts in normally growing cells and is activated in response to physiological insults. MDM2 regulates p53 either through inhibiting p53's transactivating function in the nucleus or by targeting p53 degradation in the cytoplasm. We identified a previously unknown nuclear export signal (NES) in the amino terminus of p53, spanning residues 11 to 27 and containing two serine residues phosphorylated after DNA damage, which was required for p53 nuclear export in colloboration with the carboxyl-terminal NES. Serine-15-phosphorylated p53 induced by ultraviolet irradiation was not exported. Thus, DNA damage-induced phosphorylation may achieve optimal p53 activation by inhibiting both MDM2 binding to, and the nuclear export of, p53.     

Orchestration of the DNA-damage response by the RNF8 ubiquitin ligase

Cells respond to DNA double-strand breaks by recruiting factors such as the DNA-damage mediator protein MDC1, the p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1), and the breast cancer susceptibility protein BRCA1 to sites of damaged DNA. Here, we reveal that the ubiquitin ligase RNF8 mediates ubiquitin conjugation and 53BP1 and BRCA1 focal accumulation at sites of DNA lesions. Moreover, we establish that MDC1 recruits RNF8 through phosphodependent interactions between the RNF8 forkhead-associated domain and motifs in MDC1 that are phosphorylated by the DNA-damage activated protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM). We also show that depletion of the E2 enzyme UBC13 impairs 53BP1 recruitment to sites of damage, which suggests that it cooperates with RNF8. Finally, we reveal that RNF8 promotes the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint and resistance to ionizing radiation. These results demonstrate how the DNA-damage response is orchestrated by ATM-dependent phosphorylation of MDC1 and RNF8-mediated ubiquitination.     

Reconstitution of G1 cyclin ubiquitination with complexes containing SCFGrr1 and Rbx1

Control of cyclin levels is critical for proper cell cycle regulation. In yeast, the stability of the G1 cyclin Cln1 is controlled by phosphorylation-dependent ubiquitination. Here it is shown that this reaction can be reconstituted in vitro with an SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Phosphorylated Cln1 was ubiquitinated by SCF (Skp1-Cdc53-F-box protein) complexes containing the F-box protein Grr1, Rbx1, and the E2 Cdc34. Rbx1 promotes association of Cdc34 with Cdc53 and stimulates Cdc34 auto-ubiquitination in the context of Cdc53 or SCF complexes. Rbx1, which is also a component of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor complex, may define a previously unrecognized class of E3-associated proteins.     

Structure of an E6AP-UbcH7 complex: insights into ubiquitination by the E2-E3 enzyme cascade

The E6AP ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3) mediates the human papillomavirus-induced degradation of the p53 tumor suppressor in cervical cancer and is mutated in Angelman syndrome, a neurological disorder. The crystal structure of the catalytic hect domain of E6AP reveals a bilobal structure with a broad catalytic cleft at the junction of the two lobes. The cleft consists of conserved residues whose mutation interferes with ubiquitin-thioester bond formation and is the site of Angelman syndrome mutations. The crystal structure of the E6AP hect domain bound to the UbcH7 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) reveals the determinants of E2-E3 specificity and provides insights into the transfer of ubiquitin from the E2 to the E3.     

Plant development: regulation by protein degradation

Many aspects of eukaryotic development depend on regulated protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. This highly conserved pathway promotes covalent attachment of ubiquitin to protein substrates through the sequential action of three enzymes called a ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), and a ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3). Most ubiquitinated proteins are then targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome. Recent studies have also shown that the ubiquitin-related protein RUB/Nedd8 and the proteasome-related COP9 signalosome complex cooperate with the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway to promote protein degradation. Most of these components are conserved in all three eukaryotic kingdoms. However, the known targets of the pathway in plants, and the developmental processes they regulate, are specific to the plant kingdom.     

Phosphorylation-dependent ubiquitination of cyclin E by the SCFFbw7 ubiquitin ligase

Cyclin E binds and activates the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk2 and catalyzes the transition from the G1 phase to the S phase of the cell cycle. The amount of cyclin E protein present in the cell is tightly controlled by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Here we identify the ubiquitin ligase responsible for cyclin E ubiquitination as SCFFbw7 and demonstrate that it is functionally conserved in yeast, flies, and mammals. Fbw7 associates specifically with phosphorylated cyclin E, and SCFFbw7 catalyzes cyclin E ubiquitination in vitro. Depletion of Fbw7 leads to accumulation and stabilization of cyclin E in vivo in human and Drosophila melanogaster cells. Multiple F-box proteins contribute to cyclin E stability in yeast, suggesting an overlap in SCF E3 ligase specificity that allows combinatorial control of cyclin E degradation.     

Mono- versus polyubiquitination: differential control of p53 fate by Mdm2

Although Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination is essential for both degradation and nuclear export of p53, the molecular basis for the differential effects of Mdm2 remains unknown. Here we show that low levels of Mdm2 activity induce monoubiquitination and nuclear export of p53, whereas high levels promote p53's polyubiquitination and nuclear degradation. A p53-ubiquitin fusion protein that mimics monoubiquitinated p53 was found to accumulate in the cytoplasm in an Mdm2-independent manner, indicating that monoubiquitination is critical for p53 trafficking. These results clarify the nature of ubiquitination-mediated p53 regulation and suggest that distinct mechanisms regulate p53 function in accordance with the levels of Mdm2 activity.     

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径调节作物种子大小的研究进展

泛素/26S蛋白酶体系统（ubiquitin/26S proteasome system, UPS）是蛋白质泛素化的重要途径，作为蛋白质翻译后重要的修饰系统，在作物生长发育的各个阶段发挥重要作用。大量研究表明，UPS中泛素受体蛋白、E3泛素连接酶、去泛素化酶等能相互协调，通过在目标蛋白上连接或去除不同数量的泛素来介导目标蛋白的降解、改变亚细胞定位、蛋白活性等，从而调控种子的大小。对不同作物中泛素/26S蛋白酶体系统调节种子大小方面的研究进展进行了综述，并对其未来的发展进行了展望，为研究种子大小的调控机制及育种改良提供参考。     

Spatial regulation of an E3 ubiquitin ligase directs selective synapse elimination

Stereotyped synaptic connectivity can arise both by precise recognition between appropriate partners during synaptogenesis and by selective synapse elimination. The molecular mechanisms that underlie selective synapse removal are largely unknown. We found that stereotyped developmental elimination of synapses in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite-specific motor neuron (HSNL) was mediated by an E3 ubiquitin ligase, a Skp1-cullin-F-box (SCF) complex composed of SKR-1 and the F-box protein SEL-10. SYG-1, a synaptic adhesion molecule, bound to SKR-1 and inhibited assembly of the SCF complex, thereby protecting nearby synapses. Thus, subcellular regulation of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation contributes to precise synaptic connectivity through selective synapse elimination.     

U-box蛋白质的结构及其功能研究进展

泛素系统是选择性降解细胞内蛋白质的重要系统之一,U-box蛋白质是此系统中决定底物特异性识别的一种新型E3蛋白质,部分U-box蛋白质属于泛素链聚集因子-E4。U-box结构域大约由70个氨基酸残基构成,在酵母、植物和动物等真核生物中保守存在,但植物中的数目远多于动物中。该蛋白质在细胞内异常蛋白质的降解及质量控制方面具有重要的作用,了解U-box蛋白质的功能对疾病的发生控制机理有重要意义。     

Interactions of the COP9 signalosome with the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCFTIRI in mediating auxin response

The COP9 signalosome is an evolutionary conserved multiprotein complex of unknown function that acts as a negative regulator of photomorphogenic seedling development in Arabidopsis. Here, we show that plants with reduced COP9 signalosome levels had decreased auxin response similar to loss-of-function mutants of the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCFTIR1. Furthermore, we found that the COP9 signalosome and SCFTIR1 interacted in vivo and that the COP9 signalosome was required for efficient degradation of PSIAA6, a candidate substrate of SCFTIR1. Thus, the COP9 signalosome may play an important role in mediating E3 ubiquitin ligase-mediated responses.     

铁观音茶树RING型E3泛素连接酶基因克隆及其干旱胁迫下的表达分析

以铁观音茶树为试材,对其中E3泛素连接酶基因进行克隆和生物信息学分析,并采用qPCR进行不同干旱条件下的定量表达分析。研究结果表明,该序列全长为1 138bp,开放阅读框(ORF)为810bp,编码269个氨基酸(GenBank登录号KR819177)。生物信息学分析发现该铁观音茶树E3泛素连接酶基因不含跨膜结构以及信号肽,具有多个磷酸化位点,亚细胞定位于叶绿体中。经BLAST比对,该基因编码的氨基酸序列与烟草、亚麻荠、葡萄、醉蝶花、芜菁中的E3泛素连接酶基因编码的氨基酸序列分别有51%、50%、50%、50%和49%的同源性,且相关保守功能结构域翻译的蛋白质序列具有RING-finger结构,初步确定该基因为铁观音茶树的E3泛素连接酶基因。qPCR分析结果显示在不同干旱胁迫处理下铁观音茶树的E3泛素连接酶基因的表达量,与对照组相比显著增加。本研究认为铁观音茶树RING型E3泛素连接酶基因参与茶树抗旱响应机制。