ALS-FTLD associated mutations of SQSTM1 impact on Keap1-Nrf2 signalling.

The transcription factor Nrf2 and its repressor protein Keap1 play key roles in the regulation of antioxidant stress responses and both Keap1-Nrf2 signalling and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the ALS-FTLD spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders. The Keap1-binding partner and autophagy receptor SQSTM1/p62 has also recently been linked genetically to ALS-FTLD, with some missense mutations identified in patients mapping within or close to its Keap1-interacting region (KIR, residues 347-352). Here we report the effects on protein function of four different disease associated mutations of SQSTM1/p62 which affect the KIR region. Only mutations mapping precisely to the KIR (P348L and G351A) were associated with a loss of Keap1 binding in co-immunoprecipitations comparable to wild-type SQSTM1/p62. These selective effects on Keap1 recognition were entirely rational based on protein structural models. Consistent with impaired Keap1 binding, the P348L and G351A KIR mutants showed reduced ability to activate Nrf2 signalling compared to wild-type SQSTM1/p62 in antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferase reporter assays. The results suggest that SQSTM1 mutations within the KIR of SQSTM1/p62 contribute to aetiology of some cases of ALS-FTLD through a mechanism involving aberrant expression or regulation of oxidative response genes.

Paget disease of bone-associated UBA domain mutations of SQSTM1 exert distinct effects on protein structure and function.

SQSTM1 mutations are common in patients with Paget disease of bone (PDB), with most affecting the C-terminal ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain of the SQSTM1 protein. We performed structural and functional analyses of two UBA domain mutations, an I424S mutation relatively common in UK PDB patients, and an A427D mutation associated with a severe phenotype in Southern Italian patients. Both impaired SQSTM1's ubiquitin-binding function in pull-down assays and resulted in activation of basal NF-κB signalling, compared to wild-type, in reporter assays. We found evidence for a relationship between the ability of different UBA domain mutants to activate NF-κB signalling in vitro and number of affected sites in vivo in 1152 PDB patients from the UK and Italy, with A427D-SQSTM1 producing the greatest level of activation (relative to wild-type) of all PDB mutants tested to date. NMR and isothermal titration calorimetry studies were able to demonstrate that I424S is associated with global structural changes in the UBA domain, resulting in 10-fold weaker UBA dimer stability than wild-type and reduced ubiquitin-binding affinity of the UBA monomer. Our observations provide insights into the role of SQSTM1-mediated NF-κB signalling in PDB aetiology, and demonstrate that different mutations in close proximity within loop 2/helix 3 of the SQSTM1 UBA domain exert distinct effects on protein structure and stability, including indirect effects at the UBA/ubiquitin-binding interface.

The SQSTM1/p62 UBA domain regulates Ajuba localisation, degradation and NF-κB signalling function.

The LIM-domain containing protein Ajuba and the scaffold protein SQSTM1/p62 regulate signalling of NF-κB, a transcription factor involved in osteoclast differentiation and survival. The ubiquitin-associated domain of SQSTM1/p62 is frequently mutated in patients with Paget's disease of bone. Here, we report that Ajuba activates NF-κB activity in HEK293 cells, and that co-expression with SQSTM1/p62 inhibits this activation in an UBA domain-dependent manner. SQSTM1/p62 regulates proteins by targeting them to the ubiquitin-proteasome system or the autophagy-lysosome pathway. We show that Ajuba is degraded by autophagy, however co-expression with SQSTM1/p62 (wild type or UBA-deficient) protects Ajuba levels both in cells undergoing autophagy and those exposed to proteasomal stress. Additionally, in unstressed cells co-expression of SQSTM1/p62 reduces the amount of Ajuba present in the nucleus. SQSTM1/p62 with an intact ubiquitin-associated domain forms holding complexes with Ajuba that are not destined for degradation yet inhibit signalling. Thus, in situations with altered levels and localization of SQSTM1/p62 expression, such as osteoclasts in Paget's disease of bone and various cancers, SQSTM1/p62 may compartmentalize Ajuba and thereby impact its cellular functions and disease pathogenesis. In Paget's, ubiquitin-associated domain mutations may lead to increased or prolonged Ajuba-induced NF-κB signalling leading to increased osteoclastogenesis. In cancer, Ajuba expression promotes cell survival. The increased levels of SQSTM1/p62 observed in cancer may enhance Ajuba-mediated cancer cell survival.