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.     

Induction of APOBEC3G ubiquitination and degradation by an HIV-1 Vif-Cul5-SCF complex

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) Vif is essential for viral evasion of host antiviral factor CEM15/APOBEC3G. We report that Vif interacts with cellular proteins Cul5, elongins B and C, and Rbx1 to form an Skp1-cullin-F-box (SCF)-like complex. The ability of Vif to suppress antiviral activity of APOBEC3G was specifically dependent on Cul5-SCF function, allowing Vif to interact with APOBEC3G and induce its ubiquitination and degradation. A Vif mutant that interacted with APOBEC3G but not with Cul5-SCF was functionally inactive. The Cul5-SCF was also required for Vif function in distantly related simian immunodeficiency virus mac. These results indicate that the conserved Cul5-SCF pathway used by Vif is a potential target for antiviral development.     

Protein tyrosine kinase Wee1B is essential for metaphase II exit in mouse oocytes

Waves of cyclin synthesis and degradation regulate the activity of Cdc2 protein kinase during the cell cycle. Cdc2 inactivation by Wee1B-mediated phosphorylation is necessary for arrest of the oocyte at G2-prophase, but it is unclear whether this regulation functions later during the metaphase-to-anaphase transition. We show that reactivation of a Wee1B pathway triggers the decrease in Cdc2 activity during egg activation. When Wee1B is down-regulated, oocytes fail to form a pronucleus in response to Ca(2+) signals. Calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) activates Wee1B, and CaMKII-driven exit from metaphase II is inhibited by Wee1B down-regulation, demonstrating that exit from metaphase requires not only a proteolytic degradation of cyclin B but also the inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc2 by Wee1B.     

Phosphorylation by cyclin B-Cdk underlies release of mitotic exit activator Cdc14 from the nucleolus

Budding yeast protein phosphatase Cdc14 is sequestered in the nucleolus in an inactive state during interphase by the anchor protein Net1. Upon entry into anaphase, the Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) network initiates dispersal of active Cdc14 throughout the cell. We report that the FEARnetwork promotes phosphorylation of Net1 by cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) complexed with cyclin B1 or cyclin B2. These phosphorylations appear to be required for FEAR and sustain the proper timing of late mitotic events. Thus, a regulatory circuit exists to ensure that the arbiter of the mitotic state, Cdk, sets in motion events that culminate in exit from mitosis.     

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.     

The RAR1 interactor SGT1, an essential component of R gene-triggered disease resistance

Plant disease resistance (R) genes trigger innate immune responses upon pathogen attack. RAR1 is an early convergence point in a signaling pathway engaged by multiple R genes. Here, we show that RAR1 interacts with plant orthologs of the yeast protein SGT1, an essential regulator in the cell cycle. Silencing the barley gene Sgt1 reveals its role in R gene-triggered, Rar1-dependent disease resistance. SGT1 associates with SKP1 and CUL1, subunits of the SCF (Skp1-Cullin-F-box) ubiquitin ligase complex. Furthermore, the RAR1-SGT1 complex also interacts with two COP9 signalosome components. The interactions among RAR1, SGT1, SCF, and signalosome subunits indicate a link between disease resistance and ubiquitination.     

Promotion of NEDD-CUL1 conjugate cleavage by COP9 signalosome

SCF ubiquitin ligases control various processes by marking regulatory proteins for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. To illuminate how SCF complexes are regulated, we sought proteins that interact with the human SCF component CUL1. The COP9 signalosome (CSN), a suppressor of plant photomorphogenesis, associated with multiple cullins and promoted cleavage of the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 from Schizosaccharomyces pombe CUL1 in vivo and in vitro. Multiple NEDD8-modified proteins uniquely accumulated in CSN-deficient S. pombe cells. We propose that the broad spectrum of activities previously attributed to CSN subunits--including repression of photomorphogenesis, activation of JUN, and activation of p27 nuclear export--underscores the importance of dynamic cycles of NEDD8 attachment and removal in biological regulation.     

Est1p as a cell cycle-regulated activator of telomere-bound telomerase

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the telomerase components Est2p, TLC1 RNA, Est1p, and Est3p are thought to form a complex that acts late during chromosome replication (S phase) upon recruitment by Cdc13p, a telomeric DNA binding protein. Consistent with this model, we show that Est1p, Est2p, and Cdc13p are telomere-associated at this time. However, Est2p, but not Est1p, also binds telomeres before late S phase. The cdc13-2 allele has been proposed to be defective in recruitment, yet Est1p and Est2p telomere association persists in cdc13-2 cells. These findings suggest a model in which Est1p binds telomeres late in S phase and interacts with Cdc13p to convert inactive, telomere-bound Est2p to an active form.     

鼻咽良恶性病变中EBV-LMP1、CyclinB1、P34cdc2和Survivin的表达及意义

目的探讨P34cdc2、CyclinB1和Survivin在鼻咽粘膜慢性炎、鼻咽癌和颈部淋巴结转移灶中的表达及意义,并分析与EBV-LMP1表达的相互关系.方法应用免疫组化检测30例鼻咽粘膜慢性炎、30例鼻咽癌和30例鼻咽癌颈部淋巴结转移灶中LMP1、P34cdc2、CyclinB1和Survivin的表达.结果LMP1、P34cdc2、CyclinB1和Survivin在鼻咽粘膜慢性炎中的阳性率分别为20.0%(6/30)、10.0%(3/30)、10.0%(3/30)和3.3%(1/30);在鼻咽癌中的阳性率分别为63.3%(19/30)、73.3%(22/30)、50.0%(15/30)和36.7(11/30),与鼻咽粘膜慢性炎比较差异均有显著性(P＜0.01);在鼻咽癌颈部淋巴结转移灶中的阳性率分别为70.0%(21/30)、80.0%(24/30)、76.7%(23/30)和43.3%(13/30),与鼻咽粘膜慢性炎比较差异均有显著性(P＜0.01),与鼻咽癌相比较均有所增高,但仅CyclinB1有统计学意义(P＜0.05).在鼻咽癌及其颈部淋巴结转移灶中,LMP1与P34cdc2和CyclinB1的表达均有显著相关性(分别P＜0.01,P＜0.05).结论鼻咽癌中存在P34cdc2、CyclinB1和Survivin蛋白过表达,LMP1与P34cdc2和CyclinB1可能协同致病.     

Dynamic complex formation during the yeast cell cycle

To analyze the dynamics of protein complexes during the yeast cell cycle, we integrated data on protein interactions and gene expression. The resulting time-dependent interaction network places both periodically and constitutively expressed proteins in a temporal cell cycle context, thereby revealing previously unknown components and modules. We discovered that most complexes consist of both periodically and constitutively expressed subunits, which suggests that the former control complex activity by a mechanism of just-in-time assembly. Consistent with this, we show that additional regulation through targeted degradation and phosphorylation by Cdc28p (Cdk1) specifically affects the periodically expressed proteins.     

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.     

Association of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 E6 proteins with p53

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is a DNA tumor virus that is associated with human anogenital cancers and encodes two transforming proteins, E6 and E7. The E7 protein has been shown to bind to the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene product, pRB. This study shows that the E6 protein of HPV-16 is capable of binding to the cellular p53 protein. The ability of the E6 proteins from different human papillomaviruses to form complexes with p53 was assayed and found to correlate with the in vivo clinical behavior and the in vitro transforming activity of these different papillomaviruses. The wild-type p53 protein has tumor suppressor properties and has also been found in association with large T antigen and the E1B 55-kilodalton protein in cells transformed by SV40 and by adenovirus type 5, respectively, providing further evidence that the human papillomaviruses, the adenoviruses, and SV40 may effect similar cellular pathways in transformation.     

FSH对体外培养仔猪睾丸支持细胞cyclin D1 mRNA和 cyclin E1 mRNA表达的影响

【目的】确定FSH是否能调节支持细胞cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达及可能的机制。【方法】以培养的仔猪睾丸支持细胞为试验材料,通过添加各种信号通路的抑制剂,应用实时荧光定量PCR 检测cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的相对表达量。【结果】不同浓度的FSH（0—100 ng•mL-1）均可促进cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达（P＜0.05）,在FSH浓度为50 ng•mL-1时两种基因的表达量最大（P＜0.05）;FSH（50 ng•mL-1）也以时间依赖的方式促进了cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达（P＜0.05）,在作用30 min时其表达量达到高峰（P＜0.05）。不同浓度的Foskolin （0—20 μmol•L-1）均可以促进cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达（P＜0.05）,但均低于FSH单独作用时两种基因的表达量;Rp-cAMP（0—40 μmol•L-1）、H-89（0—30 μmol•L-1）和Verapamil（0—100 μg•mL-1）以剂量依赖的方式抑制了FSH诱导的cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达（P＜0.05）,而且Rp-cAMP和Verapamil联合作用对FSH的抑制效果高于单独的抑制效果（P＜0.05）,但低于两者之和。此外,不同浓度的U0126（0—10 μmol•L-1）降低了FSH诱导的cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达（P＜0.05）,而Rp-cAMP、H-89、Verapamil和U0126单独作用时,cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达与对照相比没有显著差异（P＞0.05）。【结论】FSH以剂量依赖和时间依赖的方式诱导了cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA的表达;cAMP-PKA、Ca2+和ERK1/2参与了FSH对cyclin D1 mRNA和cyclin E1 mRNA表达的调节。     

Separase regulates INCENP-Aurora B anaphase spindle function through Cdc14

The inner centromere-like protein (INCENP) forms a complex with the evolutionarily conserved family of Aurora Bkinases. The INCENP-Aurora complex helps coordinate chromosome segregation, spindle behavior, and cytokinesis during mitosis. INCENP-Aurora associates with kinetochores in metaphase and with spindle microtubules in anaphase, yet the trigger for this abrupt transfer is unknown. Here we show that the conserved phosphatase Cdc14 regulated the yeast INCENP-Aurora complex, Sli15-Ipl1. Cdc14 dephosphorylated Sli15 and thereby directed the complex to spindles. Activation of Cdc14 by separase was sufficient for Sli15 dephosphorylation and relocalization. Cdc14 not only regulates mitotic exit but also modulates spindle midzone assembly through Sli15-Ipl1.     

Identification of SCF ubiquitin ligase substrates by global protein stability profiling

Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis regulates all aspects of cellular function, and defects in this process are associated with human diseases. The limited number of identified ubiquitin ligase-substrate pairs is a major bottleneck in the ubiquitin field. We established and applied genetic technologies that combine global protein stability (GPS) profiling and genetic perturbation of E3 activity to screen for substrates of the Skp1-cullin-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase in mammalian cells. Among the >350 potential substrates identified, we found most known SCF targets and many previously unknown substrates involved in cell cycle, apoptosis, and signaling pathways. Exploring cell cycle-stage stability, we found that several substrates used the SCF and other E3s in different cell cycle stages. Our results demonstrate the potential of these technologies as general platforms for the global discovery of E3-substrate regulatory networks.     

Rapid destruction of human Cdc25A in response to DNA damage

To protect genome integrity and ensure survival, eukaryotic cells exposed to genotoxic stress cease proliferating to provide time for DNA repair. Human cells responded to ultraviolet light or ionizing radiation by rapid, ubiquitin- and proteasome-dependent protein degradation of Cdc25A, a phosphatase that is required for progression from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle. This response involved activated Chk1 protein kinase but not the p53 pathway, and the persisting inhibitory tyrosine phosphorylation of Cdk2 blocked entry into S phase and DNA replication. Overexpression of Cdc25A bypassed this mechanism, leading to enhanced DNA damage and decreased cell survival. These results identify specific degradation of Cdc25A as part of the DNA damage checkpoint mechanism and suggest how Cdc25A overexpression in human cancers might contribute to tumorigenesis.     

Regulation of cell polarity and protrusion formation by targeting RhoA for degradation

The Rho family of small guanosine triphosphatases regulates actin cytoskeleton dynamics that underlie cellular functions such as cell shape changes, migration, and polarity. We found that Smurf1, a HECT domain E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulated cell polarity and protrusive activity and was required to maintain the transformed morphology and motility of a tumor cell. Atypical protein kinase C zeta (PKCzeta), an effector of the Cdc42/Rac1-PAR6 polarity complex, recruited Smurf1 to cellular protrusions, where it controlled the local level of RhoA. Smurf1 thus links the polarity complex to degradation of RhoA in lamellipodia and filopodia to prevent RhoA signaling during dynamic membrane movements.     

Requirement of the prolyl isomerase Pin1 for the replication checkpoint

The peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1 has been implicated in regulating cell cycle progression. Pin1 was found to be required for the DNA replication checkpoint in Xenopus laevis. Egg extracts depleted of Pin1 inappropriately transited from the G2 to the M phase of the cell cycle in the presence of the DNA replication inhibitor aphidicolin. This defect in replication checkpoint function was reversed after the addition of recombinant wild-type Pin1, but not an isomerase-inactive mutant, to the depleted extract. Premature mitotic entry in the absence of Pin1 was accompanied by hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25, activation of Cdc2/cyclin B, and generation of epitopes recognized by the mitotic phosphoprotein antibody, MPM-2. Therefore, Pin1 appears to be required for the checkpoint delaying the onset of mitosis in response to incomplete replication.     

拟南芥COI 1互作基因的分离

为进一步阐明茉莉素调控植物生长发育的分子机理，为作物抗性和雄性不育基因工程提供新思路，以COI1为诱饵，利用酵母双杂交分析体系筛选拟南芥cDNA文库，得到300多个阳性克隆，经PCR，RsaⅠ酶切PCR产物以后归为12群，从代表菌落提取pB42AD cDNA重组质粒进行了测序，完成了序列分析，得到ASK1，COAP2，COAP3，COAP4等12个基因，其中ASK1，COAP2，COAP3等基因与Skp1等重要基因有较高的同源性。