Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme V variant 1 enables cellular responses toward fibroblast growth factor signaling in endothelium.

Ubiquitination has been shown to provide an essential regulatory role in modulating the duration and amplitude of the signaling activity in angiogenesis. While successive enzymatic reactions mediated by three distinct types of enzymes commonly known as E1, E2, and E3 are required for ubiquitination, the role of E3s which govern the final step of ubiquitination has been extensively analyzed in angiogenesis. In contrast, the role of E2s, which determine the context and functional consequences of ubiquitination, remains largely unknown with respect to angiogenesis. To better elucidate the role of E2s in modulating endothelial behaviors during angiogenesis, we first systematically analyze the expression pattern of E2s in endothelial cells (ECs) using previously published scRNA-seq data and identify ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant 1 (UBE2V1), an unconventional E2 without innate catalytic activity, as one of the most abundantly expressed E2s in ECs. While ubiquitously expressed in diverse cell types, abrogation of UBE2V1 significantly impairs proliferation and viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) without affecting other cell types, suggesting that UBE2V1 is likely to possess nonredundant functions in ECs. Consistent with this idea, UBE2V1 appears to be critical for morphogenesis and migration of ECs during angiogenesis. Interestingly, we find that UBE2V1 is essential for fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)-induced angiogenesis, but appears to have minor effects on vascular endothelial growth factor-A-induced angiogenesis in vitro as well as in vivo. Therefore, it seems that UBE2V1 could enable ECs to distinguish two related yet distinct angiogenic cues. Mechanistically, we show that UBE2V1 promotes ubiquitination of MEK kinase 1, a key mediator of FGF2 signaling, to enhance phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in HUVECs. Taken together, our results illustrate the unique role of UBE2V1 as a key modulator for angiogenic behaviors in ECs.

Role of SIRT1 in Modulating Acetylation of the Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase in Heart Failure.

RATIONALE: SERCA2a, sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, is a critical determinant of cardiac function. Reduced level and activity of SERCA2a are major features of heart failure. Accordingly, intensive efforts have been made to develop efficient modalities for SERCA2a activation. We showed that the activity of SERCA2a is enhanced by post-translational modification with SUMO1 (small ubiquitin-like modifier 1). However, the roles of other post-translational modifications on SERCA2a are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to assess the role of lysine acetylation on SERCA2a function and determine whether inhibition of lysine acetylation can improve cardiac function in the setting of heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: The acetylation of SERCA2a was significantly increased in failing hearts of humans, mice, and pigs, which is associated with the reduced level of SIRT1 (sirtuin 1), a class III histone deacetylase. Downregulation of SIRT1 increased the SERCA2a acetylation, which in turn led to SERCA2a dysfunction and cardiac defects at baseline. In contrast, pharmacological activation of SIRT1 reduced the SERCA2a acetylation, which was accompanied by recovery of SERCA2a function and cardiac defects in failing hearts. Lysine 492 (K492) was of critical importance for the regulation of SERCA2a activity via acetylation. Acetylation at K492 significantly reduced the SERCA2a activity, presumably through interfering with the binding of ATP to SERCA2a. In failing hearts, acetylation at K492 appeared to be mediated by p300 (histone acetyltransferase p300), a histone acetyltransferase. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that acetylation/deacetylation at K492, which is regulated by SIRT1 and p300, is critical for the regulation of SERCA2a activity in hearts. Pharmacological activation of SIRT1 can restore SERCA2a activity through deacetylation at K492. These findings might provide a novel strategy for the treatment of heart failure.

NFAT1 Regulates Systemic Autoimmunity through the Modulation of a Dendritic Cell Property.

The transcription factor NFAT1 plays a pivotal role in the homeostasis of T lymphocytes. However, its functional importance in non-CD4+ T cells, especially in systemic immune disorders, is largely unknown. In this study, we report that NFAT1 regulates dendritic cell (DC) tolerance and suppresses systemic autoimmunity using the experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) as a model. Myasthenia gravis and EAMG are T cell-dependent, Ab-mediated autoimmune disorders in which the acetylcholine receptor is the major autoantigen. NFAT1-knockout mice showed higher susceptibility to EAMG development with enhanced Th1/Th17 cell responses. NFAT1 deficiency led to a phenotypic alteration of DCs that show hyperactivation of NF-κB-mediated signaling pathways and enhanced binding of NF-κB (p50) to the promoters of IL-6 and IL-12. As a result, NFAT1-knockout DCs produced much higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α, which preferentially induce Th1/Th17 cell differentiation. Our data suggest that NFAT1 may limit the hyperactivation of the NF-κB-mediated proinflammatory response in DCs and suppress autoimmunity by serving as a key regulator of DC tolerance.

Crystal structure of the Ube2K/E2-25K and K48-linked di-ubiquitin complex provides structural insight into the mechanism of K48-specific ubiquitin chain synthesis.

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2) form thioester bonds with ubiquitin (Ub), which are subsequently transferred to target proteins for cellular progress. Ube2K/E2-25K (a class II E2 enzyme) contains a C-terminal ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain that has been suggested to control ubiquitin recognition, dimerization, or poly-ubiquitin chain formation. Ube2K is a special E2 because it synthesizes K48-linked poly-ubiquitin chains without E3 ubiquitin ligase. We found that a novel interaction between the acceptor di-Ub (Ub2) and the auxiliary Ube2K promotes the discharging reaction and production of tri-Ub (Ub3), probably by guiding and positioning the K48 (in the distal Ub) of the acceptor Ub2 in the active site. We also determined the crystal structure of Ube2K-Ub2 at 2.47 Šresolution. Based on our structural and biochemical data, we proposed a structural model of Ub3 synthesis by Ube2K without E3.

The opposite role of two UBA-UBX containing proteins, p47 and SAKS1 in the degradation of a single ERAD substrate, α-TCR.

The UBA-UBX domain-containing proteins can interact with ubiquitinated substrates and p97 during endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). Here, we found that the expressions of all UBA-UBX genes p47, SAKS1, UBXD8, FAF1, and UBXD7 were elevated upon ER stress, albeit with different levels. Of which p47, SAKS1, and UBXD8 are 'immediate' respondents whereas FAF1 and UBXD7 were 'late' respondents to ER stress. Interestingly, the expression of specific UBA-UBX genes were altered in cells stably expressing three different ERAD substrates such as α-TCR, α1-antitrypsin, and δCD3. We first found that p47 and UBXD8 expression levels were increased in α-TCR and α1-antitrypsin stable cell lines, respectively, whereas SAKS1 expression level was reduced in all the three ERAD substrates tested. Of note, we also found p47 promotes, whereas SASK1 delays the degradation of a single ERAD substrate, α-TCR. Additionally, we found that SAKS1 selectively inhibits the degradation of ERAD substrates without affecting cytosolic proteasomal substrates. Taken together, our results identified that UBA-UBX proteins possess substrate selectivity and opposite role of two different UBA-UBX proteins in the degradation of a single ERAD substrate.

UbcD4, an ortholog of E2-25K/Ube2K, is essential for activation of the immune deficiency pathway in Drosophila.

Ubiquitination is a key regulatory mechanism in the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway in Drosophila. In this study, we first developed a simple immunoblot method to identify components involved in this pathway. Considering the emerging roles of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) in determining ubiquitin chain types and ubiquitination speed, we screened for E2s required for IMD activation. We found that UbcD4, in addition to the previously reported E2s Effete and Bendless, was required for activation of the IMD pathway. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the UbcD4 ortholog, E2-25K/Ube2K, inhibited TNFα- and LPS-mediated activation of the NF-κB pathway, implying that UbcD4 and E2-25K/Ube2K play a conserved role as positive regulators in both pathways.

Reduced Fertility and Altered Epididymal and Sperm Integrity in Mice Lacking ADAM7.

The mammalian epididymis is a highly convoluted tubule that connects the testis to the vas deferens. Its proper functions in sperm transport, storage, and maturation are essential for male reproduction. One of the genes predominantly expressed in the epididymis is ADAM7 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease 7). Previous studies have shown that ADAM7 synthesized in the epididymis is secreted into the epididymal lumen and is then transferred to sperm membranes, where it forms a chaperone complex that is potentially involved in sperm fertility. In this study, we generated and analyzed mice with a targeted disruption in the Adam7 gene. We found that the fertility of male mice was modestly but significantly reduced by knockout of Adam7. Histological analyses revealed that the cell heights of the epithelium were dramatically decreased in the caput of the epididymis of Adam7-null mice, suggesting a requirement for ADAM7 in maintaining the integrity of the epididymal epithelium. We found that sperm from Adam7-null mice exhibit decreased motility, tail deformation, and altered tyrosine phosphorylation, indicating that the absence of ADAM7 leads to abnormal sperm functions and morphology. Western blot analyses revealed reduced levels of integral membrane protein 2B (ITM2B) and ADAM2 in sperm from Adam7-null mice, suggesting a requirement for ADAM7 in normal expression of sperm membrane proteins involved in sperm functions. Collectively, our study demonstrates for the first time that ADAM7 is required for normal fertility and is important for the maintenance of epididymal integrity and for sperm morphology, motility, and membrane proteins.

Simultaneous quantification of total and conjugated ubiquitin levels in a single immunoblot.

Ubiquitin (Ub) is a posttranslational modifier, and total Ub (UbT) is always in dynamic equilibrium among free Ub (UbF), activated Ub (UbA), and conjugated Ub (UbC) in the forms of mono-Ub, thioester-bond-linked Ub, and peptide-bond-linked Ub, respectively. In this study, we developed a simple method to simultaneously determine the levels of UbT, UbF+UbA, and UbC in a single immunoblot and demonstrated its reliability and reproducibility by determining [UbT], [UbF+UbA], and [UbC] in various mouse tissues and cultured cells.

PICOT increases cardiac contractility by inhibiting PKCζ activity.

Protein kinase C (PKC)-interacting cousin of thioredoxin (PICOT) has distinct anti-hypertrophic and inotropic functions. We have previously shown that PICOT exerts its anti-hypertrophic effect by inhibiting calcineurin-NFAT signaling through its C-terminal glutaredoxin domain. However, the mechanism underlying the inotropic effect of PICOT is unknown. The results of protein pull-down experiments showed that PICOT directly binds to the catalytic domain of PKCζ through its N-terminal thioredoxin-like domain. Purified PICOT protein inhibited the kinase activity of PKCζ in vitro, which indicated that PICOT is an endogenous inhibitor of PKCζ. The inhibition of PKCζ activity with a PKCζ-specific pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitor was sufficient to increase the cardiac contractility in vitro and ex vivo. Overexpression of PICOT or inhibition of PKCζ activity down-regulated PKCα activity, which led to the elevation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) 2a activity, concomitant with the increased phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLB). Overexpression of PICOT or inhibition of PKCζ activity also down-regulated protein phosphatase (PP) 2A activity, which subsequently resulted in the increased phosphorylation of troponin (Tn) I and T, key myofilament proteins associated with the regulation of contractility. PICOT appeared to inhibit PP2A activity through the disruption of the functional PKCζ/PP2A complex. In contrast to the overexpression of PICOT or inhibition of PKCζ, reduced PICOT expression resulted in up-regulation of PKCα and PP2A activities, followed by decreased phosphorylation of PLB, and TnI and T, respectively, supporting the physiological relevance of these events. Transgene- or adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression of PICOT restored the impaired contractility and prevented further morphological and functional deterioration of the failing hearts. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that PICOT exerts its inotropic effect by negatively regulating PKCα and PP2A activities through the inhibition of PKCζ activity. This finding provides a novel insight into the regulation of cardiac contractility.

Large-scale production of soluble recombinant amyloid-ß peptide 1-42 using cold-inducible expression system.

Amyloid-ß peptide 1-42 (Aß(1-42)), the predominant form in senile plaques, plays important roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Because Aß(1-42) has aggregation-prone nature, it has been difficult to produce in a soluble state in bacterial expression systems. In this study, we modified our expression system to increase the soluble fraction of Aß(1-42) in Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells. The expression level and solubility of recombinant Aß(1-42) induced at the low temperature (16°C) is highly increased compared to that induced at 37°C. To optimize expression temperature, the coding region of Aß(1-42) was constructed in a pCold vector, pCold-TF, which has a hexahistidine-tagged trigger factor (TF). Recombinant Aß(1-42) was expressed primarily as a soluble protein using pCold vector system and purified with a nickel-chelating resin. When the toxic effect of recombinant Aß(1-42) examined on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, the purified Aß(1-42) induced cell toxicity on SH-SY5Y cells. In conclusion, the system developed in this study will provide a useful method for the production of aggregation prone-peptide such as Aß(1-42).

Fluorescent 2-styrylpyridazin-3(2H)-one derivatives as probes targeting amyloid-beta plaques in Alzheimer's disease.

Amyloid plaques, which are primarily composed of aggregated amyloid-beta (Aß) peptide, are the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Fluorescent markers containing 2-styrylpyridazin-3(2H)-ones were developed to detect intracellular aggregated Aß peptides. Nine compounds exhibited a greater than 10-fold increase of in emission spectra before and after mixing with Aß aggregates compared with before mixing. Among these compounds, compound 9n exhibited the highest affinity for Aß aggregates (K(d)=1.84 µM) and selectively stained both aggregated intracellular Aß and Aß plaques in the transgenic AD model mice (APP/PS1). These preliminary results indicate that 2-styrylpyridazin-3(2H)-one derivatives are promising alternative fluorescence imaging agent for the study of AD.

Anti-Ischemic Effects of PIK3IP1 Are Mediated through Its Interactions with the ETA-PI3Kγ-AKT Axis.

Oxidative stress, caused by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is one of the main factors leading to myocardial cell damage and programmed cell death. Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-AKT (PI3K-AKT) signaling is essential for regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-interacting protein 1 (PIK3IP1) is an intrinsic inhibitor of PI3K in various tissues, but its functional role during AMI remains unknown. In this study, the anti-ischemic role of PIK3IP1 in an in vitro AMI setting was evaluated using H9c2 cells. The MTT assay demonstrated that cell viability decreased significantly via treatment with H2O2 (200-500 µM). The TUNEL assay results revealed substantial cellular apoptosis following treatment with 200 µM H2O2. Under the same conditions, the expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), endothelin-1 (ET-1), bcl-2-like protein 4 (BAX), and cleaved caspase-3 were elevated, whereas those of PIK3IP1, LC3II, p53, and Bcl-2 decreased significantly. PIK3IP1 overexpression inhibited H2O2-induced and PI3K-mediated apoptosis; however, PIK3IP1 knockdown reversed this effect, suggesting that PIK3IP1 functions as an anti-apoptotic molecule. To identify both the upstream and downstream molecules associated with PIK3IP1, ET-1 receptor type-specific antagonists (BQ-123 and BQ-788) and PI3K subtype-specific antagonists (LY294002 and IPI-549) were used to determine the participating isoforms. Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to identify the binding partners of PIK3IP1. Our results demonstrated that ROS-induced cardiac cell death may occur through the ETA-PI3Kγ-AKT axis, and that PIK3IP1 inhibits binding with both ETA and PI3Kγ. Taken together, these findings reveal that PIK3IP1 plays an anti-ischemic role by reducing the likelihood of programmed cell death via interaction with the ETA-PI3Kr-AKT axis.

Structural basis of E2-25K/UBB+1 interaction leading to proteasome inhibition and neurotoxicity.

E2-25K/Hip2 is an unusual ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that interacts with the frameshift mutant of ubiquitin B (UBB(+1)) and has been identified as a crucial factor regulating amyloid-ß neurotoxicity. To study the structural basis of the neurotoxicity mediated by the E2-25K-UBB(+1) interaction, we determined the three-dimensional structures of UBB(+1), E2-25K and the E2-25K/ubiquitin, and E2-25K/UBB(+1) complex. The structures revealed that ubiquitin or UBB(+1) is bound to E2-25K via the enzyme MGF motif and residues in α9 of the enzyme. Polyubiquitylation assays together with analyses of various E2-25K mutants showed that disrupting UBB(+1) binding markedly diminishes synthesis of neurotoxic UBB(+1)-anchored polyubiquitin. These results suggest that the interaction between E2-25K and UBB(+1) is critical for the synthesis and accumulation of UBB(+1)-anchored polyubiquitin, which results in proteasomal inhibition and neuronal cell death.

Functional differences between two major ubiquitin receptors in the proteasome; S5a and hRpn13.

It is well known that S5a and hRpn13 are two major ubiquitin (Ub) receptors in the proteasome but little is known about their functional difference in recruiting ubiquitinated substrates. In this study using siRNA-mediated knockdown of S5a or hRpn13, we found that two Ub receptors had different substrate specificity although similar level of accumulation of high molecular weight Ub-conjugates was observed. Interesting enough, depletion of S5a, but not hRpn13, resulted in the Ub-containing aggregates and induced ER chaperones such as Grp78 and Grp94. ERAD substrates such as alpha-TCR and alpha1-antitrypsin were also stabilized by the depletion of S5a but not hRpn13. Our results suggest that there is different substrate specificity between S5a and hRpn13 at the level of delivery and S5a may be the major docking site for ERAD substrates.

The ubiquitin-interacting motifs of S5a as a unique upstream inhibitor of the 26S proteasome.

It has been demonstrated that ubiquitin-conjugated proteins were accumulated by ectopically-expressed S5a as well as the ubiquitin-interacting motifs of S5a (S5a-UIMs). In this study, we further found that free S5a-UIMs stabilized only a subset of proteasomal substrates including p53, c-Fos, c-Jun, and p27 but not beta-catenin, p15, and ornithine decarboxylase. Both S5a-UIMs and epoxomicin inhibited the proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells but arrest at the different stages of cell cycle. Together, our results suggest a potential role of S5a-UIMs as an upstream proteasomal inhibitor by blocking the subset of substrates from delivery to the 26S proteasome.

The ubiquitin-interacting motif of 26S proteasome subunit S5a induces A549 lung cancer cell death.

The subunit S5a is a key component for the recruitment of ubiquitinated substrates to the 26S proteasome. When the full-length S5a, the N-terminal half of S5a (S5aN) containing the von Willebrand A (vWA) domain, and the C-terminal half of S5a (S5aC) containing two ubiquitin(Ub)-interacting motifs (UIMs) were ectopically expressed in HEK293 cells, Ub-conjugates accumulated most prominently in S5aC-expressing cells. In addition, S5aC induced A549 lung cancer cell death but not non-cancer BEAS-2B cell death. Similar effects were observed using only S5a-UIMs. Our data therefore suggest that S5a-UIMs can be used as upstream inhibitors of the proteasome pathway.

The role of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ube2j1 phosphorylation and its degradation by proteasome during endoplasmic stress recovery.

The human Ube2j1 and Ube2j2 are the only ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) that are localized to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through its C-terminal transmembrane domains. Ube2j1 is a known substrate of MAPK signalling pathway and it is phosphorylated at serine-184 during ER stress. Here, we demonstrate that Ube2j1, not Ube2j2 is essential for the recovery of cells from transient ER stress. The ectopic expression of wild-type Ube2j1 and phospho-mimic mutant, Ube2j1S184D but not phospho-mutant Ube2j1S184A can recover cells from ER stress. We also found that ubiquitin-ligase (E3), c-IAP1 preferentially interacts with phosphorylated Ube2j1. Moreover, we noticed that phosphorylated Ube2j1 is rapidly degraded by the proteasome during ER stress cell recovery. Taken together, these data suggest that Ube2j1 and its phosphorylation is important for transient ER stress cell recovery and the phosphorylated Ube2j1 is degraded by the proteasome.

Roles of Rac and p38 kinase in the activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 in response to PMA.

The roles of Rac and p38 kinase in the activation of cPLA2 (cytosolic PLA2) in Rat-2 fibroblasts were investigated. In the present study, we found that PMA activates cPLA2 by a Rac-p38 kinase-dependent pathway. Consistent with this, Rac, if activated, was shown to stimulate cPLA2 in a p38 kinase-dependent manner. In another experiment to understand the signalling mechanism by which the Rac-p38 kinase cascade mediates cPLA2 activation in response to PMA, we observed that PMA-induced cPLA2 translocation to the perinuclear region is completely inhibited by the expression of Rac1N17 or treatment with SB203580 (inhibitor of p38 kinase), suggesting that Rac-p38 kinase cascade acts in this instance by mediating the translocation of cPLA2. The mediatory role of p38 kinase in cPLA2 activation was further demonstrated after a treatment with anisomycin, a very effective activator of p38 kinase. Consistent with the mediatory role of p38 kinase in stimulating cPLA2, anisomycin induced the translocation and activation of cPLA2 in a p38 kinase-dependent manner.

Peroxiredoxin-I is an autoimmunogenic tumor antigen in non-small cell lung cancer.

In eukaryotic cells, peroxiredoxins are both antioxidants and regulators of H(2)O(2)-mediated signaling. We previously found that peroxiredoxin-I (Prx-I) was overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue. Since overexpressed protein can induce a humoral immune response, we examined whether serum from NSCLC patients exhibited immunoreactivity against Prx-I using Western blotting. We found that 25 (47%) of 53 NSCLC patients tested had autoantibodies against Prx-I in their sera, whereas such activity was detected in 4 (8%) sera from 50 healthy subjects. Prx-I itself was detected in the sera from 18 (34%) of 53 NSCLC patients but in only 1 (2%) serum from 50 controls. Moreover, 17% of NSCLC sera were positive to both Prx-I antibody and antigen but none in control sera. The data indicate both Prx-I autoantibody and circulating antigen are potential biomarkers for use in serological diagnosis of NSCLC. Interestingly enough, we found that Prx-I was secreted by lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549) but not by non-cancer lung cells (BEAS 2B) or breast cancer cells (MCF7). This cell culture study suggests the possibility of Prx-I secretion from NSCLC tumor tissues.

Identification and characterization of reproductive KRAB-ZF genes in mice.

The mammalian genome contains numerous genes encoding transcription factors that contain Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) and C2H2-type zinc finger (ZF) motifs (KRAB-ZF). In the present study, we identified KRAB-ZF genes expressed in the mouse testis or ovary, and selected three genes that exhibit gonad-specific or gonad-predominant expression. In vitro analyses showed that these gonadal KRAB-ZF proteins are localized in cell nuclei and are able to repress transcriptional activity. We further analyzed one of the gonad-specific reproductive genes, Zfp819, and found that it is expressed exclusively in spermatogenic cells. Overexpression of Zfp819 suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Microarray analysis of Zfp819-overexpressing cells allowed us to identify numerous, potential target genes. A number of the down-regulated genes were found to show gene expression levels inversely correlated with Zfp819 during spermatogenesis. Some of the down-regulated genes were previously reported to play significant roles in spermatogenesis and apoptosis. Collectively, our study provides the first comprehensive information regarding the expression of reproductive KRAB-ZF genes in mice and reveals potential functions of Zfp819.