Probes of ubiquitin E3 ligases enable systematic dissection of parkin activation.

E3 ligases represent an important class of enzymes, yet there are currently no chemical probes for profiling their activity. We develop a new class of activity-based probe by re-engineering a ubiquitin-charged E2 conjugating enzyme and demonstrate the utility of these probes by profiling the transthiolation activity of the RING-in-between-RING (RBR) E3 ligase parkin in vitro and in cellular extracts. Our study provides valuable insight into the roles, and cellular hierarchy, of distinct phosphorylation events in parkin activation. We also profile parkin mutations associated with patients with Parkinson's disease and demonstrate that they mediate their effect largely by altering transthiolation activity. Furthermore, our probes enable direct and quantitative measurement of endogenous parkin activity, revealing that endogenous parkin is activated in neuronal cell lines (≥75%) in response to mitochondrial depolarization. This new technology also holds promise as a novel biomarker of PINK1-parkin signaling, as demonstrated by its compatibility with samples derived from individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Phosphorylation of Parkin at serine 65 is essential for its activation in vivo.

Mutations in PINK1 and Parkin result in autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease (PD). Cell culture and in vitro studies have elaborated the PINK1-dependent regulation of Parkin and defined how this dyad orchestrates the elimination of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy. PINK1 phosphorylates ubiquitin at serine 65 (Ser65) and Parkin at an equivalent Ser65 residue located within its N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain, resulting in activation; however, the physiological significance of Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation in vivo in mammals remains unknown. To address this, we generated a Parkin Ser65Ala (S65A) knock-in mouse model. We observe endogenous Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation and activation in mature primary neurons following mitochondrial depolarization and reveal this is disrupted in ParkinS65A/S65A neurons. Phenotypically, ParkinS65A/S65A mice exhibit selective motor dysfunction in the absence of any overt neurodegeneration or alterations in nigrostriatal mitophagy. The clinical relevance of our findings is substantiated by the discovery of homozygous PARKIN (PARK2) p.S65N mutations in two unrelated patients with PD. Moreover, biochemical and structural analysis demonstrates that the ParkinS65N/S65N mutant is pathogenic and cannot be activated by PINK1. Our findings highlight the central role of Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation in health and disease.