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1.
Methods Mol Biol ; 2854: 35-40, 2025.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39192116

ABSTRACT

Co-immunoprecipitation is a technique widely utilized to isolate protein complexes and study protein-protein interactions. Ubiquitinated proteins could be identified by combining co-immunoprecipitation with SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting. In this chapter, we use Herpes Simplex Virus 1 immediate-early protein ICP0-mediated polyubiquitination of p50 as an example to describe the method to identify a ubiquitinated adaptor protein by a viral E3 ligase by co-immunoprecipitation.


Subject(s)
Immediate-Early Proteins , Immunoprecipitation , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases , Ubiquitination , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism , Immunoprecipitation/methods , Humans , Immediate-Early Proteins/metabolism , Protein Binding , Ubiquitinated Proteins/metabolism , Herpesvirus 1, Human/metabolism , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel/methods , Viral Proteins/metabolism
2.
Elife ; 132024 Sep 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39221915

ABSTRACT

Loss-of-function Parkin mutations lead to early-onset of Parkinson's disease. Parkin is an auto-inhibited ubiquitin E3 ligase activated by dual phosphorylation of its ubiquitin-like (Ubl) domain and ubiquitin by the PINK1 kinase. Herein, we demonstrate a competitive binding of the phospho-Ubl and RING2 domains towards the RING0 domain, which regulates Parkin activity. We show that phosphorylated Parkin can complex with native Parkin, leading to the activation of autoinhibited native Parkin in trans. Furthermore, we show that the activator element (ACT) of Parkin is required to maintain the enzyme kinetics, and the removal of ACT slows the enzyme catalysis. We also demonstrate that ACT can activate Parkin in trans but less efficiently than when present in the cis molecule. Furthermore, the crystal structure reveals a donor ubiquitin binding pocket in the linker connecting REP and RING2, which plays a crucial role in Parkin activity.


Subject(s)
Protein Binding , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/chemistry , Humans , Phosphorylation , Crystallography, X-Ray , Models, Molecular , Ubiquitin/metabolism , Kinetics
3.
J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem ; 39(1): 2394895, 2024 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39223706

ABSTRACT

The HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases 1 (WWP1) and 2 (WWP2) are responsible for the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of key tumour suppressor proteins and are dysregulated in various cancers and diseases. Here we expand their limited inhibitor space by identification of NSC-217913 displaying a WWP1 IC50 of 158.3 µM (95% CI = 128.7, 195.1 µM). A structure-activity relationship by synthesis approach aided by molecular docking led to compound 11 which displayed increased potency with an IC50 of 32.7 µM (95% CI = 24.6, 44.3 µM) for WWP1 and 269.2 µM (95% CI = 209.4, 347.9 µM) for WWP2. Molecular docking yielded active site-bound poses suggesting that the heterocyclic imidazo[4,5-b]pyrazine scaffold undertakes a π-stacking interaction with the phenolic group of tyrosine, and the ethyl ester enables strong ion-dipole interactions. Given the therapeutic potential of WWP1 and WWP2, we propose that compound 11 may provide a basis for future lead compound development.


Subject(s)
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Molecular Docking Simulation , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/antagonists & inhibitors , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism , Humans , Structure-Activity Relationship , Molecular Structure , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis
4.
mBio ; : e0167224, 2024 Aug 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39207167

ABSTRACT

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by unicellular eukaryotic parasites of the Plasmodium genus. Protein ubiquitination by E3 ligases is a critical post-translational modification required for various cellular processes during the lifecycle of Plasmodium parasites. However, little is known about the repertoire and function of these enzymes in Plasmodium. Here, we show that Plasmodium expresses a conserved cullin RING E3 ligase (CRL) complex that is functionally related to CRL4 in other eukaryotes. In P. falciparum asexual blood stages, a cullin-4 scaffold interacts with the RING protein RBX1, the adaptor protein DDB1, and a set of putative receptor proteins that may determine substrate specificity for ubiquitination. These receptor proteins contain WD40-repeat domains and include WD-repeat protein important for gametogenesis 1 (WIG1). This CRL4-related complex is also expressed in P. berghei gametocytes, with WIG1 being the only putative receptor detected in both the schizont and gametocyte stages. WIG1 disruption leads to a complete block in microgamete formation. Proteomic analyses indicate that WIG1 disruption alters proteostasis of ciliary proteins and components of the DNA replication machinery during gametocytogenesis. Further analysis by ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) indicates that WIG1-dependent depletion of ciliary proteins is associated with impaired the formation of the microtubule organization centers that coordinate mitosis with axoneme formation and altered DNA replication during microgametogenesis. This work identifies a CRL4-related ubiquitin ligase in Plasmodium that is critical for the formation of microgametes by regulating proteostasis of ciliary and DNA replication proteins.IMPORTANCEPlasmodium parasites undergo fascinating lifecycles with multiple developmental steps, converting into morphologically distinct forms in both their mammalian and mosquito hosts. Protein ubiquitination by ubiquitin ligases emerges as an important post-translational modification required to control multiple developmental stages in Plasmodium. Here, we identify a cullin RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL) complex expressed in the replicating asexual blood stages and in the gametocyte stages that mediate transmission to the mosquito. WIG1, a putative substrate recognition protein of this ligase complex, is essential for the maturation of microgametocytes into microgametes upon ingestion by a mosquito. More specifically, WIG1 is required for proteostasis of ciliary proteins and components of the DNA replication machinery during gametocytogenesis. This requirement is linked to DNA replication and microtubule organization center formation, both critical to the development of flagellated microgametes.

5.
Plant Sci ; : 112241, 2024 Aug 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39216697

ABSTRACT

The initiation of transition to flowering is carefully managed by endogenous and environmental cues, which is critical for flowering plant reproductive success. Here, we found that wheat RING-type E3 ligase TaFRFP was highly expressed from the double ridge to degeneration stage (WS2.5-WS9). TaFRFP is localized in the nucleus and has E3 ligase activity in vitro. TaFRFP overexpression in Arabidopsis resulted in an early flowering phenotype, but to a lesser extent, under short-day conditions. Under the SA-treated condition, overexpression of TaFRFP shows higher root growth and has more accumulation of SA contents. A proteomic comparison revealed that the amount of FRL4A protein, a FRIGIDA LIKE 4A, was considerably lower in SA-treated TaFRFP seedlings compared to normal condition. We further found that TaFRFP directly interacts with FRL4A in the nucleus and recruits it to the FLC locus in Arabidopsis. Moreover, an ubiquitination assay showed that TaFRPF physically interact and ubiquitinates TaFRL as a substrate. Our findings support the concept that the TaFRFP E3 ligase works as a positive regulator, and that the ubiquitination of its substrate proteins plays a significant role in controlling flowering time via an SA-dependent pathway.

6.
Biomolecules ; 14(8)2024 Aug 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39199414

ABSTRACT

The efficient preparation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) rings, as a macromolecular construction approach with topological features, has aroused much interest due to the ssDNA rings' numerous applications in biotechnology and DNA nanotechnology. However, an extra splint is essential for enzymatic circularization, and by-products of multimers are usually present at high concentrations. Here, we proposed a simple and robust strategy using permuted precursor (linear ssDNA) for circularization by forming an intramolecular dynamic nick using a part of the linear ssDNA substrate itself as the template. After the simulation of the secondary structure for desired circular ssDNA, the linear ssDNA substrate is designed to have its ends on the duplex part (≥5 bp). By using this permuted substrate with 5'-phosphate, the splint-free circularization is simply carried out by T4 DNA ligase. Very interestingly, formation of only several base pairs (2-4) flanking the nick is enough for ligation, although they form only instantaneously under ligation conditions. More significantly, the 5-bp intramolecular duplex part commonly exists in genomes or functional DNA, demonstrating the high generality of our approach. Our findings are also helpful for understanding the mechanism of enzymatic DNA ligation from the viewpoint of substrate binding.


Subject(s)
DNA Ligases , DNA, Circular , DNA, Single-Stranded , DNA, Single-Stranded/metabolism , DNA, Single-Stranded/chemistry , DNA Ligases/metabolism , DNA Ligases/chemistry , DNA, Circular/chemistry , DNA, Circular/metabolism , Nucleic Acid Conformation
7.
Int J Mol Sci ; 25(16)2024 Aug 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39201358

ABSTRACT

Ubiquitination is an evolutionary, ancient system of post-translational modification of proteins that occurs through a cascade involving ubiquitin activation, transfer, and conjugation. The maturation of this system has followed two main pathways. The first is the conservation of a universal structural fold of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins, which are present in both Archaea and Bacteria, as well as in multicellular Eukaryotes. The second is the rise of the complexity of the superfamily of ligases, which conjugate ubiquitin-like proteins to substrates, in terms of an increase in the number of enzyme variants, greater variation in structural organization, and the diversification of their catalytic domains. Here, we examine the diversity of the ubiquitination system among different organisms, assessing the variety and conservation of the key domains of the ubiquitination enzymes and ubiquitin itself. Our data show that E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes of metazoan phyla are highly conservative, whereas the homology of E3 ubiquitin ligases with human orthologues gradually decreases depending on "molecular clock" timing and evolutionary distance. Surprisingly, Chordata and Echinodermata, which diverged over 0.5 billion years ago during the Cambrian explosion, share almost the same homology with humans in the amino acid sequences of E3 ligases but not in their adaptor proteins. These observations may suggest that, firstly, the E2 superfamily already existed in its current form in the last common metazoan ancestor and was generally not affected by purifying selection in metazoans. Secondly, it may indicate convergent evolution of the ubiquitination system and highlight E3 adaptor proteins as the "upper deck" of the ubiquitination system, which plays a crucial role in chordate evolution.


Subject(s)
Evolution, Molecular , Signal Transduction , Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes , Ubiquitin , Ubiquitination , Humans , Ubiquitin/metabolism , Animals , Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes/metabolism , Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes/genetics , Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes/chemistry , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/chemistry , Protein Processing, Post-Translational , Phylogeny
8.
Genes (Basel) ; 15(8)2024 Aug 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39202423

ABSTRACT

The SEVEN IN ABSENTIA (SINA) E3 ubiquitin ligase is widely involved in drought and salt stress in plants. However, the biological function of the SINA proteins in cotton is still unknown. This study aimed to reveal the function of GhSINAT5 through biochemical, genetic and molecular approaches. GhSINAT5 is expressed in several tissues of cotton plants, including roots, stems, leaves and cotyledons, and its expression levels are significantly affected by polyethylene glycol, abscisic acid and sodium chloride. When GhSINAT5 was silenced in cotton plants, drought and salinity stress occurred, and the length, area and volume of the roots significantly decreased. Under drought stress, the levels of proline, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase in the GhSINAT5-silenced cotton plants were significantly lower than those in the non-silenced control plants, whereas the levels of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde were greater. Moreover, the expression of stress-related genes in silenced plants under drought stress suggested that GhSINAT5 may play a positive role in the plant response to drought and salt stress by regulating these stress response-related genes. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of drought resistance in cotton but also provide potential targets for future improvements in crop stress resistance through genetic engineering.


Subject(s)
Droughts , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Gossypium , Plant Proteins , Salt Tolerance , Gossypium/genetics , Gossypium/metabolism , Gossypium/physiology , Salt Tolerance/genetics , Plant Proteins/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Gene Silencing , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism , Stress, Physiological/genetics , Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics , Drought Resistance
9.
Genes Dev ; 38(13-14): 675-691, 2024 Aug 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39137945

ABSTRACT

Tumor suppressor genes play critical roles in normal tissue homeostasis, and their dysregulation underlies human diseases including cancer. Besides human genetics, model organisms such as Drosophila have been instrumental in discovering tumor suppressor pathways that were subsequently shown to be highly relevant in human cancer. Here we show that hyperplastic disc (Hyd), one of the first tumor suppressors isolated genetically in Drosophila and encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase with hitherto unknown substrates, and Lines (Lin), best known for its role in embryonic segmentation, define an obligatory tumor suppressor protein complex (Hyd-Lin) that targets the zinc finger-containing oncoprotein Bowl for ubiquitin-mediated degradation, with Lin functioning as a substrate adaptor to recruit Bowl to Hyd for ubiquitination. Interestingly, the activity of the Hyd-Lin complex is directly inhibited by a micropeptide encoded by another zinc finger gene, drumstick (drm), which functions as a pseudosubstrate by displacing Bowl from the Hyd-Lin complex, thus stabilizing Bowl. We further identify the epigenetic regulator Polycomb repressive complex1 (PRC1) as a critical upstream regulator of the Hyd-Lin-Bowl pathway by directly repressing the transcription of the micropeptide drm Consistent with these molecular studies, we show that genetic inactivation of Hyd, Lin, or PRC1 resulted in Bowl-dependent hyperplastic tissue overgrowth in vivo. We also provide evidence that the mammalian homologs of Hyd (UBR5, known to be recurrently dysregulated in various human cancers), Lin (LINS1), and Bowl (OSR1/2) constitute an analogous protein degradation pathway in human cells, and that OSR2 promotes prostate cancer tumorigenesis. Altogether, these findings define a previously unrecognized tumor suppressor pathway that links epigenetic program to regulated protein degradation in tissue growth control and tumorigenesis.


Subject(s)
Carcinogenesis , Drosophila Proteins , Proteolysis , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases , Animals , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics , Drosophila Proteins/metabolism , Drosophila Proteins/genetics , Carcinogenesis/genetics , Humans , Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics , Drosophila melanogaster/genetics , Drosophila melanogaster/metabolism , Drosophila melanogaster/embryology , Genes, Tumor Suppressor , Ubiquitination , Polycomb-Group Proteins/metabolism , Polycomb-Group Proteins/genetics , Polycomb Repressive Complex 1/metabolism , Polycomb Repressive Complex 1/genetics
10.
Plant Cell Rep ; 43(9): 215, 2024 Aug 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39138747

ABSTRACT

KEY MESSAGE: Overexpression of rice A20/AN1 zinc-finger protein, OsSAP10, improves water-deficit stress tolerance in Arabidopsis via interaction with multiple proteins. Stress-associated proteins (SAPs) constitute a class of A20/AN1 zinc-finger domain containing proteins and their genes are induced in response to multiple abiotic stresses. The role of certain SAP genes in conferring abiotic stress tolerance is well established, but their mechanism of action is poorly understood. To improve our understanding of SAP gene functions, OsSAP10, a stress-inducible rice gene, was chosen for the functional and molecular characterization. To elucidate its role in water-deficit stress (WDS) response, we aimed to functionally characterize its roles in transgenic Arabidopsis, overexpressing OsSAP10. OsSAP10 transgenics showed improved tolerance to water-deficit stress at seed germination, seedling and mature plant stages. At physiological and biochemical levels, OsSAP10 transgenics exhibited a higher survival rate, increased relative water content, high osmolyte accumulation (proline and soluble sugar), reduced water loss, low ROS production, low MDA content and protected yield loss under WDS relative to wild type (WT). Moreover, transgenics were hypersensitive to ABA treatment with enhanced ABA signaling and stress-responsive genes expression. The protein-protein interaction studies revealed that OsSAP10 interacts with proteins involved in proteasomal pathway, such as OsRAD23, polyubiquitin and with negative and positive regulators of stress signaling, i.e., OsMBP1.2, OsDRIP2, OsSCP and OsAMTR1. The A20 domain was found to be crucial for most interactions but insufficient for all interactions tested. Overall, our investigations suggest that OsSAP10 is an important candidate for improving water-deficit stress tolerance in plants, and positively regulates ABA and WDS signaling via protein-protein interactions and modulation of endogenous genes expression in ABA-dependent manner.


Subject(s)
Abscisic Acid , Arabidopsis , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Oryza , Plant Proteins , Plants, Genetically Modified , Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex , Signal Transduction , Arabidopsis/genetics , Arabidopsis/physiology , Oryza/genetics , Oryza/physiology , Oryza/metabolism , Abscisic Acid/metabolism , Abscisic Acid/pharmacology , Signal Transduction/genetics , Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex/metabolism , Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex/genetics , Plant Proteins/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Stress, Physiological/genetics , Germination/genetics , Germination/drug effects , Droughts , Water/metabolism , Dehydration , Seedlings/genetics , Seedlings/physiology
11.
Mol Cell Biol ; : 1-14, 2024 Aug 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39135477

ABSTRACT

Restricting the localization of evolutionarily conserved histone H3 variant CENP-A to the centromere is essential to prevent chromosomal instability (CIN), an important hallmark of cancers. Overexpressed CENP-A mislocalizes to non-centromeric regions and contributes to CIN in yeast, flies, and human cells. Centromeric localization of CENP-A is facilitated by the interaction of Mis18ß with CENP-A specific chaperone HJURP. Cellular levels of Mis18ß are regulated by ß-transducin repeat containing protein (ß-TrCP), an F-box protein of SCF (Skp1, Cullin, F-box) E3-ubiquitin ligase complex. Here, we show that defects in ß-TrCP-mediated proteolysis of Mis18ß contributes to the mislocalization of endogenous CENP-A and CIN in a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line, MDA-MB-231. CENP-A mislocalization in ß-TrCP depleted cells is dependent on high levels of Mis18ß as depletion of Mis18ß suppresses mislocalization of CENP-A in these cells. Consistent with these results, endogenous CENP-A is mislocalized in cells overexpressing Mis18ß alone. In summary, our results show that ß-TrCP-mediated degradation of Mis18ß prevents mislocalization of CENP-A and CIN. We propose that deregulated expression of Mis18ß may be one of the key mechanisms that contributes to chromosome segregation defects in cancers.

12.
Biol Reprod ; 2024 Aug 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39151022

ABSTRACT

Prior studies showed that mice deficient in the modifier subunit of glutamate cysteine ligase (Gclm), the rate-limiting enzyme in synthesis of the thiol antioxidant glutathione (GSH), have decreased ovarian GSH concentrations, chronic ovarian oxidative stress, poor oocyte quality resulting in early preimplantation embryonic mortality and decreased litter size, and accelerated age-related decline in ovarian follicle numbers. Global deficiency of the catalytic subunit of this enzyme, Gclc, is embryonic lethal. We tested the hypothesis that granulosa cell- or oocyte-specific deletion of Gclc recapitulates the female reproductive phenotype of global Gclm deficiency. We deleted Gclc in granulosa cells or oocytes of growing follicles using Gclc floxed transgenic mice paired with Amhr2-Cre or Zp3-Cre alleles respectively. We discovered that granulosa cell-specific deletion of Gclc in Amhr2Cre;Gclc(f/-) mice recapitulates the decreased litter size observed in Gclm-/- mice, but does not recapitulate the accelerated age-related decline in ovarian follicles observed in Gclm-/- mice. In addition to having lower GSH concentrations in granulosa cells, Amhr2Cre;Gclc(f/-) mice also had decreased GSH concentrations in oocytes. By contrast, oocyte-specific deletion of Gclc in Zp3Cre;Gclc(f/-) mice did not affect litter size or accelerate the age-related decline in follicle numbers, and these mice did not have decreased oocyte GSH concentrations, consistent with transport of GSH between cells via gap junctions. The results suggest that GSH deficiency at earlier stages of follicle development may be required to generate the accelerated follicle depletion phenotype observed in global Gclm null mice.

13.
Microbiol Spectr ; : e0397423, 2024 Aug 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39162545

ABSTRACT

The increasing clinical significance of Mycobacterium abscessus is owed to its innate high-level, broad-spectrum resistance to antibiotics and therefore rapidly evolves as an important human pathogen. This warrants the identification of novel targets for aiding the discovery of new drugs or drug combinations to treat M. abscessus infections. This study is inspired by the drug-hypersensitive profile of a mutant M. abscessus (U14) with transposon insertion in MAB_1915. We validated the role of MAB_1915 in intrinsic drug resistance in M. abscessus by constructing a selectable marker-free in-frame deletion in MAB_1915 and complementing the mutant with the same or extended version of the gene and then followed by drug susceptibility testing. Judging by the putative function of MAB_1915, cell envelope permeability was studied by ethidium bromide accumulation assay and susceptibility testing against dyes and detergents. In this study, we established genetic evidence of the role of MAB_1915 in intrinsic resistance to rifampicin, rifabutin, linezolid, clarithromycin, vancomycin, and bedaquiline. Disruption of MAB_1915 has also been observed to cause a significant increase in cell envelope permeability in M. abscessus. Restoration of resistance is observed to depend on at least 27 base pairs upstream of the coding DNA sequence of MAB_1915. MAB_1915 could therefore be associated with cell envelope permeability, and hence its role in intrinsic resistance to multiple drugs in M. abscessus, which presents it as a novel target for future development of effective antimicrobials to overcome intrinsic drug resistance in M. abscessus. IMPORTANCE: This study reports the role of a putative fadD (MAB_1915) in innate resistance to multiple drugs by M. abscessus, hence identifying MAB_1915 as a valuable target and providing a baseline for further mechanistic studies and development of effective antimicrobials to check the high level of intrinsic resistance in this pathogen.

14.
bioRxiv ; 2024 Aug 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39149235

ABSTRACT

Degrons are minimal protein features that are sufficient to target proteins for degradation. In most cases, degrons allow recognition by components of the cytosolic ubiquitin proteasome system. Currently, all of the identified degrons only function within the cytosol. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we identified the first short linear sequences that function as degrons from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen. We show that when these degrons are transferred to proteins, they facilitate proteasomal degradation through the ERAD system. These degrons enable degradation of both luminal and integral membrane ER proteins, expanding the types of proteins that can be targeted for degradation in budding yeast and mammalian tissue culture. This discovery provides a framework to target proteins for degradation from the previously unreachable ER lumen and builds toward therapeutic approaches that exploit the highly-conserved ERAD system.

15.
Neurochem Int ; 179: 105832, 2024 Aug 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39154836

ABSTRACT

3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT), a byproduct of oxidative and nitrosative stress, is implicated in age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Current literature suggests that free 3-NT becomes integrated into the carboxy-terminal domain of α-tubulin via the tyrosination/detyrosination cycle. Independently of this integration, 3-NT has been associated with the cell death of dopaminergic neurons. Given the critical role of tyrosination/detyrosination in governing axonal morphology and function, the substitution of tyrosine with 3-NT in this process may potentially disrupt axonal homeostasis, although this aspect remains underexplored. In this study, we examined the impact of 3-NT on the axons of cerebellar granule neurons, which is used as a model for non-dopaminergic neurons. Our observations revealed axonal shortening, which correlated with the incorporation of 3-NT into α-tubulin. Importantly, this axonal effect was observed prior to the onset of cellular death. Furthermore, 3-NT was found to diminish mitochondrial motility within the axon, leading to a subsequent reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential. The suppression of syntaphilin, a protein responsible for anchoring mitochondria to microtubules, restored the mitochondrial motility and axonal elongation that were inhibited by 3-NT. These findings underscore the inhibitory role of 3-NT in axonal elongation by impeding mitochondrial movement, suggesting its potential involvement in axonal dysfunction within non-dopaminergic neurons.

16.
Front Microbiol ; 15: 1450060, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39144209

ABSTRACT

Viral infections usually induce the rearrangement of cellular cytoskeletal proteins and organelle membrane structures, thus creating independent compartments [termed replication organelles (ROs)] to facilitate viral genome replication. Within the ROs, viral replicases, including polymerases, helicases, and ligases, play functional roles during viral replication. These viral replicases are pivotal in the virus life cycle, and numerous studies have demonstrated that the viral replicases could be the potential targets for drugs development. Here, we summarize primarily the key replicases within viral ROs and emphasize the advancements of antiviral drugs targeting crucial viral replicases, providing novel insights into the future development of antiviral strategies.

17.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun ; 733: 150601, 2024 Aug 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39213703

ABSTRACT

Biotin is an essential coenzyme involved in various metabolic processes across all known organisms, with biotinylation being crucial for the activity of carboxylases. BirA from Haemophilus influenzae is a bifunctional protein that acts as a biotin protein ligase and a transcriptional repressor. This study reveals the crystal structures of Hin BirA in both its apo- and holo-(biotinyl-5'-AMP bound) forms. As a class II BirA, it consists of three domains: N-terminal DNA binding domain, central catalytic domain, and C-terminal SH3-like domain. The structural analysis shows that the biotin-binding loop forms an ordered structure upon biotinyl-5'-AMP binding. This facilitates its interaction with the ligand and promotes protein dimerization. Comparative studies with other BirA homologs from different organisms indicate that the residues responsible for binding biotinyl-5'-AMP are highly conserved. This study also utilized AlphaFold2 to model the potential heterodimeric interaction between Hin BirA and biotin carboxyl carrier protein, thereby providing insights into the structural basis for biotinylation. These findings enhance our understanding of the structural and functional characteristics of Hin BirA, highlighting its potential as a target for novel antibiotics that disrupt the bacterial biotin synthesis pathways.

18.
Front Cell Dev Biol ; 12: 1458895, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39211389

ABSTRACT

Protein homeostasis depends on many fundamental processes including mRNA synthesis, translation, post-translational modifications, and proteolysis. In the late 70s and early 80s the discovery that the small 76 amino acid protein ubiquitin could be attached to target proteins via a multi-stage process involving ubiquitin-activating enzymes, ubiquitin conjugating enzymes, and ubiquitin ligases, revealed an exciting new post-translational mechanism to regulate protein degradation. This cellular system was uncovered using biochemical methods by Avram Hershko, who would later won the Nobel prize for this discovery; however, the biological functions of ubiquitin ligases remained unknown for many years. It was initially described that ubiquitin modifies proteins at one or more lysine residues and once a long ubiquitin chain was assembled, proteins were degraded by the proteasome. Now we know that proteins can be mono-, multimono-, homotypic poly-, or heterotypic poly-ubiquitylated, each of which confers a specific signal that goes beyond protein degradation regulating additional key cellular functions such as signal transduction, protein localization, recognition of damaged proteins, etc.

19.
Cell Rep ; 43(8): 114596, 2024 Aug 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39110591

ABSTRACT

The Ralstonia solanacearum species complex causes bacterial wilt in a variety of crops. Tomato cultivar Hawaii 7996 is a widely used resistance resource; however, the resistance is evaded by virulent strains, with the underlying mechanisms still unknown. Here, we report that the phylotype Ⅱ strain ES5-1 can overcome Hawaii 7996 resistance. RipV2, a type Ⅲ effector specific to phylotype Ⅱ strains, is vital in overcoming tomato resistance. RipV2, which encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase, suppresses immune responses and Toll/interleukin-1 receptor/resistance nucleotide-binding/leucine-rich repeat (NLR) (TNL)-mediated cell death. Tomato helper NLR N requirement gene 1 (NRG1), enhanced disease susceptibility 1 (EDS1), and senescence-associated gene 101b (SAG101b) are identified as RipV2 target proteins. RipV2 is essential for ES5-1 virulence in Hawaii 7996 but not in SlNRG1-silenced tomato, demonstrating SlNRG1 to be an RipV2 virulence target. Our results dissect the mechanisms of RipV2 in disrupting immunity and highlight the importance of converged immune components in conferring bacterial wilt resistance.


Subject(s)
Disease Resistance , Plant Diseases , Ralstonia solanacearum , Solanum lycopersicum , Ubiquitination , Ralstonia solanacearum/pathogenicity , Ralstonia solanacearum/metabolism , Solanum lycopersicum/microbiology , Solanum lycopersicum/immunology , Solanum lycopersicum/metabolism , Plant Diseases/microbiology , Plant Diseases/immunology , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , NLR Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Proteolysis , Virulence
20.
Front Pharmacol ; 15: 1432545, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39130630

ABSTRACT

The CBL (Casitas B-lineage lymphoma) family, as a class of ubiquitin ligases, can regulate signal transduction and activate receptor tyrosine kinases through various tyrosine kinase-dependent pathways. There are three members of the family: c-CBL, CBL-b, and CBL-c. Numerous studies have demonstrated the important role of CBL in various cellular pathways, particularly those involved in the occurrence and progression of cancer, hematopoietic development, and regulation of T cell receptors. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to comprehensively summarize the function and regulatory role of CBL family proteins in different human tumors, as well as the progress of drug research targeting CBL family, so as to provide a broader clinical measurement strategy for the treatment of tumors.

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