Structural insights into the targeting specificity of ubiquitin ligase for S. cerevisiae isocitrate lyase but not C. albicans isocitrate lyase.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the glyoxylate cycle is controlled through the posttranslational regulation of its component enzymes, such as isocitrate lyase (ICL), which catalyzes the first unique step of the cycle. The ICL of S.cerevisiae (ScIcl1) is tagged for proteasomal degradation through ubiquitination by a multisubunit ubiquitin ligase (the glucose-induced degradation-deficient (GID) complex), whereas that of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans (CaIcl1) escapes this process. However, the reason for the ubiquitin targeting specificity of the GID complex for ScIcl1 and not for CaIcl1 is unclear. To gain some insight into this, in this study, the crystal structures of apo ScIcl1 and CaIcl1 in complex with formate and the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of apo CaIcl1 were determined at a resolution of 2.3, 2.7, and 2.6 Å, respectively. A comparison of the various structures suggests that the orientation of N-terminal helix α1 in S.cerevisiae is likely key to repositioning of ubiquitination sites and contributes to the distinction found in C. albicans ubiquitin evasion mechanism. This finding gives us a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of ubiquitin-dependent ScIcl1 degradation and could serve as a theoretical basis for the research and development of anti-C. albicans drugs based on the concept of CaIcl1 ubiquitination.

Phosphorylation of p62 activates the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway during selective autophagy.

The Keap1-Nrf2 system and autophagy are both involved in the oxidative-stress response, metabolic pathways, and innate immunity, and dysregulation of these processes is associated with pathogenic processes. However, the interplay between these two pathways remains largely unknown. Here, we show that phosphorylation of the autophagy-adaptor protein p62 markedly increases p62's binding affinity for Keap1, an adaptor of the Cul3-ubiquitin E3 ligase complex responsible for degrading Nrf2. Thus, p62 phosphorylation induces expression of cytoprotective Nrf2 targets. p62 is assembled on selective autophagic cargos such as ubiquitinated organelles and subsequently phosphorylated in an mTORC1-dependent manner, implying coupling of the Keap1-Nrf2 system to autophagy. Furthermore, persistent activation of Nrf2 through accumulation of phosphorylated p62 contributes to the growth of human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). These results demonstrate that selective autophagy and the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway are interdependent, and that inhibitors of the interaction between phosphorylated p62 and Keap1 have potential as therapeutic agents against human HCC.

Moyamoya disease patient mutations in the RING domain of RNF213 reduce its ubiquitin ligase activity and enhance NFκB activation and apoptosis in an AAA+ domain-dependent manner.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a cerebrovascular disease characterized by progressive occlusion of the internal carotid arteries. Genetic studies originally identified RNF213 as an MMD susceptibility gene that encodes a large 591 kDa protein with a functional RING domain and dual AAA+ ATPase domains. As the functions of RNF213 and its relationship to MMD onset are unknown, we set out to characterize the ubiquitin ligase activity of RNF213, and the effects of MMD patient mutations on these activities and on other cellular processes. In vitro ubiquitination assays, using the RNF213 RING domain, identified Ubc13/Uev1A as a key ubiquitin conjugating enzyme that together generate K63-linked polyubiquitin chains. However, nearly all MMD patient mutations in the RING domain greatly reduced this activity. When full-length proteins were overexpressed in HEK293T cells, patient mutations that abolished the ubiquitin ligase activities conversely enhanced nuclear factor κB (NFκB) activation and induced apoptosis accompanied with Caspase-3 activation. These induced activities were dependent on the RNF213 AAA+ domain. Our results suggest that the NFκB- and apoptosis-inducing functions of RNF213 may be negatively regulated by its ubiquitin ligase activity and that disruption of this regulation could contribute towards MMD onset.

Shigella hijacks the glomulin-cIAPs-inflammasome axis to promote inflammation.

Shigella deploys a unique mechanism to manipulate macrophage pyroptosis by delivering the IpaH7.8 E3 ubiquitin ligase via its type III secretion system. IpaH7.8 ubiquitinates glomulin (GLMN) and elicits its degradation, thereby inducing inflammasome activation and pyroptotic cell death of macrophages. Here, we show that GLMN specifically binds cellular inhibitor of apoptosis proteins 1 and 2 (cIAP1 and cIAP2), members of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of RING-E3 ligases, which results in reduced E3 ligase activity, and consequently inflammasome-mediated death of macrophages. Importantly, reducing the levels of GLMN in macrophages via IpaH7.8, or siRNA-mediated knockdown, enhances inflammasome activation in response to infection by Shigella, Salmonella, or Pseudomonas, stimulation with NLRP3 inflammasome activators (including SiO2, alum, or MSU), or stimulation of the AIM2 inflammasome by poly dA:dT GLMN binds specifically to the RING domain of both cIAPs, which inhibits their self-ubiquitination activity. These findings suggest that GLMN is a negative regulator of cIAP-mediated inflammasome activation, and highlight a unique Shigella stratagem to kill macrophages, promoting severe inflammation.

Biallelic UFM1 and UFC1 mutations expand the essential role of ufmylation in brain development.

The post-translational modification of proteins through the addition of UFM1, also known as ufmylation, plays a critical developmental role as revealed by studies in animal models. The recent finding that biallelic mutations in UBA5 (the E1-like enzyme for ufmylation) cause severe early-onset encephalopathy with progressive microcephaly implicates ufmylation in human brain development. More recently, a homozygous UFM1 variant was proposed as a candidate aetiology of severe early-onset encephalopathy with progressive microcephaly. Here, we establish a locus for severe early-onset encephalopathy with progressive microcephaly based on two families, and map the phenotype to a novel homozygous UFM1 mutation. This mutation has a significantly diminished capacity to form thioester intermediates with UBA5 and with UFC1 (the E2-like enzyme for ufmylation), with resulting impaired ufmylation of cellular proteins. Remarkably, in four additional families where eight children have severe early-onset encephalopathy with progressive microcephaly, we identified two biallelic UFC1 mutations, which impair UFM1-UFC1 intermediate formation with resulting widespread reduction of cellular ufmylation, a pattern similar to that observed with UFM1 mutation. The striking resemblance between UFM1- and UFC1-related clinical phenotype and biochemical derangements strongly argues for an essential role for ufmylation in human brain development. The hypomorphic nature of UFM1 and UFC1 mutations and the conspicuous depletion of biallelic null mutations in the components of this pathway in human genome databases suggest that it is necessary for embryonic survival, which is consistent with the embryonic lethal nature of knockout models for the orthologous genes.

The Shigella flexneri effector OspI deamidates UBC13 to dampen the inflammatory response.

Many bacterial pathogens can enter various host cells and then survive intracellularly, transiently evade humoral immunity, and further disseminate to other cells and tissues. When bacteria enter host cells and replicate intracellularly, the host cells sense the invading bacteria as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by way of various pattern recognition receptors. As a result, the host cells induce alarm signals that activate the innate immune system. Therefore, bacteria must modulate host inflammatory signalling and dampen these alarm signals. How pathogens do this after invading epithelial cells remains unclear, however. Here we show that OspI, a Shigella flexneri effector encoded by ORF169b on the large plasmid and delivered by the type ΙΙΙ secretion system, dampens acute inflammatory responses during bacterial invasion by suppressing the tumour-necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6)-mediated signalling pathway. OspI is a glutamine deamidase that selectively deamidates the glutamine residue at position 100 in UBC13 to a glutamic acid residue. Consequently, the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating activity required for TRAF6 activation is inhibited, allowing S. flexneri OspI to modulate the diacylglycerol-CBM (CARD-BCL10-MALT1) complex-TRAF6-nuclear-factor-κB signalling pathway. We determined the 2.0 Å crystal structure of OspI, which contains a putative cysteine-histidine-aspartic acid catalytic triad. A mutational analysis showed this catalytic triad to be essential for the deamidation of UBC13. Our results suggest that S. flexneri inhibits acute inflammatory responses in the initial stage of infection by targeting the UBC13-TRAF6 complex.

FYCO1 Contains a C-terminally Extended, LC3A/B-preferring LC3-interacting Region (LIR) Motif Required for Efficient Maturation of Autophagosomes during Basal Autophagy.

FYCO1 (FYVE and coiled-coil protein 1) is a transport adaptor that binds to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, to Rab7, and to LC3 (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3) to mediate transport of late endosomes and autophagosomes along microtubules in the plus end direction. We have previously shown that FYCO1 binds to LC3B via a 19-amino acid sequence containing a putative core LC3-interacting region (LIR) motif. Here, we show that FYCO1 preferentially binds to LC3A and -B. By peptide array-based two-dimensional mutational scans of the binding to LC3B, we found FYCO1 to contain a C-terminally extended LIR domain. We determined the crystal structure of a complex between a 13-amino acid LIR peptide from FYCO1 and LC3B at 1.53 Å resolution. By combining the structural information with mutational analyses, both the basis for the C-terminally extended LIR and the specificity for LC3A/B binding were revealed. FYCO1 contains a 9-amino acid-long F-type LIR motif. In addition to the canonical aromatic residue at position 1 and the hydrophobic residue at position 3, an acidic residue and a hydrophobic residue at positions 8 and 9, respectively, are important for efficient binding to LC3B explaining the C-terminal extension. The specificity for binding to LC3A/B is due to the interaction between Asp(1285) in FYCO1 and His(57) in LC3B. To address the functional significance of the LIR motif of FYCO1, we generated FYCO1 knock-out cells that subsequently were reconstituted with GFP-FYCO1 WT and LIR mutant constructs. Our data show that FYCO1 requires a functional LIR motif to facilitate efficient maturation of autophagosomes under basal conditions, whereas starvation-induced autophagy was unaffected.

Structural determinants in GABARAP required for the selective binding and recruitment of ALFY to LC3B-positive structures.

Several autophagy proteins contain an LC3-interacting region (LIR) responsible for their interaction with Atg8 homolog proteins. Here, we show that ALFY binds selectively to LC3C and the GABARAPs through a LIR in its WD40 domain. Binding of ALFY to GABARAP is indispensable for its recruitment to LC3B-positive structures and, thus, for the clearance of certain p62 structures by autophagy. In addition, the crystal structure of the GABARAP-ALFY-LIR peptide complex identifies three conserved residues in the GABARAPs that are responsible for binding to ALFY. Interestingly, introduction of these residues in LC3B is sufficient to enable its interaction with ALFY, indicating that residues outside the LIR-binding hydrophobic pockets confer specificity to the interactions with Atg8 homolog proteins.

Conserved Mode of Interaction between Yeast Bro1 Family V Domains and YP(X)nL Motif-Containing Target Proteins.

Yeast Bro1 and Rim20 belong to a family of proteins which possess a common architecture of Bro1 and V domains. Alix and His domain protein tyrosine phosphatase (HD-PTP), mammalian Bro1 family proteins, bind YP(X)nL (n = 1 to 3) motifs in their target proteins through their V domains. In Alix, the Phe residue, which is located in the hydrophobic groove of the V domain, is critical for binding to the YP(X)nL motif. Although the overall sequences are not highly conserved between mammalian and yeast V domains, we show that the conserved Phe residue in the yeast Bro1 V domain is important for binding to its YP(X)nL-containing target protein, Rfu1. Furthermore, we show that Rim20 binds to its target protein Rim101 through the interaction between the V domain of Rim20 and the YPIKL motif of Rim101. The mutation of either the critical Phe residue in the Rim20 V domain or the YPIKL motif of Rim101 affected the Rim20-mediated processing of Rim101. These results suggest that the interactions between V domains and YP(X)nL motif-containing proteins are conserved from yeast to mammalian cells. Moreover, the specificities of each V domain to their target protein suggest that unidentified elements determine the binding specificity.

Pba3-Pba4 heterodimer acts as a molecular matchmaker in proteasome α-ring formation.

Eukaryotic proteasome assembly is assisted by multiple dedicated chaperones. In yeast, formation of the heteroheptameric ring composed of α1-α7 subunits is promoted by the heterodimeric chaperone Pba3-Pba4. Here we reveal that in the absence of this dimeric chaperone, α2 replaces α4 during α-ring assembly, thereby giving rise to a non-productive complex that lacks α4, ß1, ß5, ß6, and ß7 subunits and aggregates of α4. Furthermore, our structure-guided mutational data demonstrate that the Pba3-Pba4 heterodimer acts as molecular matchmaker reinforcing the interaction between α4 and α5, which is the crucial step in the α-ring formation.

A non-canonical UBA-UBL interaction forms the linear-ubiquitin-chain assembly complex.

HOIL-1L and its binding partner HOIP are essential components of the E3-ligase complex that generates linear ubiquitin (Ub) chains, which are critical regulators of NF-κB activation. Using crystallographic and mutational approaches, we characterize the unexpected structural basis for the specific interaction between the Ub-like domain (UBL) of HOIL-1L and the Ub-associated domain (UBA) of HOIP. Our data indicate the functional significance of this non-canonical mode of UBA-UBL interaction in E3 complex formation and subsequent NF-κB activation. This study highlights the versatility and specificity of protein-protein interactions involving Ub/UBLs and their cognate proteins.

Proteasome assembly defect due to a proteasome subunit beta type 8 (PSMB8) mutation causes the autoinflammatory disorder, Nakajo-Nishimura syndrome.

Nakajo-Nishimura syndrome (NNS) is a disorder that segregates in an autosomal recessive fashion. Symptoms include periodic fever, skin rash, partial lipomuscular atrophy, and joint contracture. Here, we report a mutation in the human proteasome subunit beta type 8 gene (PSMB8) that encodes the immunoproteasome subunit ß5i in patients with NNS. This G201V mutation disrupts the ß-sheet structure, protrudes from the loop that interfaces with the ß4 subunit, and is in close proximity to the catalytic threonine residue. The ß5i mutant is not efficiently incorporated during immunoproteasome biogenesis, resulting in reduced proteasome activity and accumulation of ubiquitinated and oxidized proteins within cells expressing immunoproteasomes. As a result, the level of interleukin (IL)-6 and IFN-γ inducible protein (IP)-10 in patient sera is markedly increased. Nuclear phosphorylated p38 and the secretion of IL-6 are increased in patient cells both in vitro and in vivo, which may account for the inflammatory response and periodic fever observed in these patients. These results show that a mutation within a proteasome subunit is the direct cause of a human disease and suggest that decreased proteasome activity can cause inflammation.

Structural basis of sugar recognition by SCFFBS2 ubiquitin ligase involved in NGLY1 deficiency.

The cytosolic peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase) is involved in the quality control of N-glycoproteins via the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway. Mutations in the gene encoding cytosolic PNGase (NGLY1 in humans) cause NGLY1 deficiency. Recent findings indicate that the F-box protein FBS2 of the SCFFBS2 ubiquitin ligase complex can be a promising drug target for NGLY1 deficiency. Here, we determined the crystal structure of bovine FBS2 complexed with the adaptor protein SKP1 and a sugar ligand, Man3GlcNAc2, which corresponds to the core pentasaccharide of N-glycan. Our crystallographic data together with NMR data revealed the structural basis of disparate sugar-binding specificities in homologous FBS proteins and identified a potential druggable pocket for in silico docking studies. Our results provide a potential basis for the development of selective inhibitors against FBS2 in NGLY1 deficiency.

Structural basis for specific recognition of Rpt1p, an ATPase subunit of 26 S proteasome, by proteasome-dedicated chaperone Hsm3p.

The 26 S proteasome is a 2.5-MDa molecular machine that degrades ubiquitinated proteins in eukaryotic cells. It consists of a proteolytic core particle and two 19 S regulatory particles (RPs) composed of 6 ATPase (Rpt) and 13 non-ATPase (Rpn) subunits. Multiple proteasome-dedicated chaperones facilitate the assembly of the proteasome, but little is known about the detailed mechanisms. Hsm3, a 19 S RP dedicated chaperone, transiently binds to the C-terminal domain of the Rpt1 subunit and forms a tetrameric complex, Hsm3-Rpt1-Rpt2-Rpn1, during maturation of the ATPase ring of 19 S RP. To elucidate the structural basis of Hsm3 function, we determined the crystal structures of Hsm3 and its complex with the C-terminal domain of the Rpt1 subunit (Rpt1C). Hsm3 has a C-shaped structure that consists of 11 HEAT repeats. The structure of the Hsm3-Rpt1C complex revealed that the interacting surface between Hsm3 and Rpt1 is a hydrophobic core and a complementary charged surface. Mutations in the Hsm3-Rpt1 surface resulted in the assembly defect of the 26 S proteasome. Furthermore, a structural model of the Hsm3-Rpt ring complex and an in vitro binding assay suggest that Hsm3 can bind Rpt2 in addition to Rpt1. Collectively, our results provide the structural basis of the molecular functions of Hsm3 for the RP assembly.

Structural basis for the cooperative interplay between the two causative gene products of combined factor V and factor VIII deficiency.

Combined deficiency of coagulation factors V and VIII (F5F8D), an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by coordinate reduction in the plasma levels of factor V (FV) and factor VIII (FVIII), is genetically linked to mutations in the transmembrane lectin ERGIC-53 and the soluble calcium-binding protein MCFD2. Growing evidence indicates that these two proteins form a complex recycling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and thereby function as a cargo receptor in the early secretory pathway of FV and FVIII. For better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the functional coordination of ERGIC-53 and MCFD2, we herein characterize their interaction by x-ray crystallographic analysis in conjunction with NMR and ultracentrifugation analyses. Inspection of the combined data reveals that ERGIC-53-CRD binds MCFD2 through its molecular surface remote from the sugar-binding site, giving rise to a 11 complex in solution. The interaction is independent of sugar-binding of ERGIC-53 and involves most of the missense mutation sites of MCFD2 so far reported in F5F8D. Comparison with the previously reported uncomplexed structure of each protein indicates that MCFD2 but not ERGIC-53-CRD undergoes significant conformational alterations upon complex formation. Our findings provide a structural basis for the cooperative interplay between ERGIC-53 and MCFD2 in capturing FV and FVIII.

Structural insight into the recognition of the linear ubiquitin assembly complex by Shigella E3 ligase IpaH1.4/2.5.

Pathogenic bacteria deliver virulence factors called effectors into host cells in order to facilitate infection. The Shigella effector proteins IpaH1.4 and IpaH2.5 are members of the 'novel E3 ligase' (NEL)-type bacterial E3 ligase family. These proteins ubiquitinate the linear ubiquitin assembly complex (LUBAC) to inhibit nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and, concomitantly, the inflammatory response. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction and recognition between IpaH1.4 and IpaH2.5 and LUBAC are unclear. Here we present the crystal structures of the substrate-recognition domains of IpaH1.4 and IpaH2.5 at resolutions of 1.4 and 3.4 Å, respectively. The LUBAC-binding site on IpaH1.4 was predicted based on structural comparisons with the structures of other NEL-type E3s. Structural and biochemical data were collected and analysed to determine the specific residues of IpaH1.4 that are involved in interactions with LUBAC and influence NF-κB signaling. The new structural insight presented here demonstrates how bacterial pathogens target innate immune signaling pathways.

Defective import of mitochondrial metabolic enzyme elicits ectopic metabolic stress.

Deficiencies in mitochondrial protein import are associated with a number of diseases. However, although nonimported mitochondrial proteins are at great risk of aggregation, it remains largely unclear how their accumulation causes cell dysfunction. Here, we show that nonimported citrate synthase is targeted for proteasomal degradation by the ubiquitin ligase SCFUcc1. Unexpectedly, our structural and genetic analyses revealed that nonimported citrate synthase appears to form an enzymatically active conformation in the cytosol. Its excess accumulation caused ectopic citrate synthesis, which, in turn, led to an imbalance in carbon flux of sugar, a reduction of the pool of amino acids and nucleotides, and a growth defect. Under these conditions, translation repression is induced and acts as a protective mechanism that mitigates the growth defect. We propose that the consequence of mitochondrial import failure is not limited to proteotoxic insults, but that the accumulation of a nonimported metabolic enzyme elicits ectopic metabolic stress.

Conformational dynamics of wild-type Lys-48-linked diubiquitin in solution.

Proteasomal degradation is mediated through modification of target proteins by Lys-48-linked polyubiquitin (polyUb) chain, which interacts with several binding partners in this pathway through hydrophobic surfaces on individual Ub units. However, the previously reported crystal structures of Lys-48-linked diUb exhibit a closed conformation with sequestered hydrophobic surfaces. NMR studies on mutated Lys-48-linked diUb indicated a pH-dependent conformational equilibrium between closed and open states with the predominance of the former under neutral conditions (90% at pH 6.8). To address the question of how Ub-binding proteins can efficiently access the sequestered hydrophobic surfaces of Ub chains, we revisited the conformational dynamics of Lys-48-linked diUb in solution using wild-type diUb and cyclic forms of diUb in which the Ub units are connected through two Lys-48-mediated isopeptide bonds. Our newly determined crystal structure of wild-type diUb showed an open conformation, whereas NMR analyses of cyclic Lys-48-linked diUb in solution revealed that its structure resembled the closed conformation observed in previous crystal structures. Comparison of a chemical shift of wild-type diUb with that of monomeric Ub and cyclic diUb, which mimic the open and closed states, respectively, with regard to the exposure of hydrophobic surfaces to the solvent indicates that wild-type Lys-48-linked diUb in solution predominantly exhibits the open conformation (75% at pH 7.0), which becomes more populated upon lowering pH. The intrinsic properties of Lys-48-linked Ub chains to adopt the open conformation may be advantageous for interacting with Ub-binding proteins.

The proteasome: molecular machinery and pathophysiological roles.

The 26S proteasome, in collaboration with ubiquitin, operates the energy-dependent regulated proteolysis process in eukaryotic cells. Over the past 30 years, several studies have comprehensively characterized the structure and molecular/physiological functions of the 26S proteasome. It is a sophisticated 2.5-MDa protein degradation machine comprising a proteolytic core particle (CP) and one or two terminal regulatory particle(s) (RP). The CP consists of two outer α rings and two inner ß rings, which are made up of seven structurally similar α and ß subunits, respectively. The CP contains catalytic threonine residues (ß1, ß2, and ß5; caspase-like, trypsin-like, and chymotrypsin-like activities, respectively) on the inner surface of the chamber formed by two abutting ß rings. Intriguingly, the immunotype proteasomes, named 'immunoproteasome' and 'thymoproteasome', whose catalytic subunits are replaced by the related counterparts, were discovered lately. Both unique isoenzymes essentially contribute to the acquisition of adaptive immunity in vertebrates. The RP, which serves to recognize polyubiquitylated substrate proteins and plays a role in their deubiquitylating, unfolding, and translocation into the interior of the CP for destruction, forms two subcomplexes: the base and the lid. On another front, the PA28 and PA200, alternative CP activator proteins discovered biochemically, both play independent roles in proteolysis of the 26S proteasome. Several studies have highlighted the importance of the proteasome in various intractable diseases that have been increasing in the aged society of the 21st century.

Structural basis for improved efficacy of therapeutic antibodies on defucosylation of their Fc glycans.

Removal of the fucose residue from the N-glycans of the Fc portion of immunoglobulin G (IgG) results in a dramatic enhancement of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) through improved affinity for Fcγ receptor IIIa (FcγRIIIa). Here, we present the 2.2-Šstructure of the complex formed between nonfucosylated IgG1-Fc and a soluble form of FcγRIIIa (sFcγRIIIa) with two N-glycosylation sites. The crystal structure shows that one of the two N-glycans of sFcγRIIIa mediates the interaction with nonfucosylated Fc, thereby stabilizing the complex. However, fucosylation of the Fc N-glycans inhibits this interaction, because of steric hindrance, and furthermore, negatively affects the dynamics of the receptor binding site. Our results offer a structural basis for improvement in ADCC of therapeutic antibodies by defucosylation.