Mechanisms of Deubiquitinase Specificity and Regulation.

Protein ubiquitination is one of the most powerful posttranslational modifications of proteins, as it regulates a plethora of cellular processes in distinct manners. Simple monoubiquitination events coexist with more complex forms of polyubiquitination, the latter featuring many different chain architectures. Ubiquitin can be subjected to further posttranslational modifications (e.g., phosphorylation and acetylation) and can also be part of mixed polymers with ubiquitin-like modifiers such as SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) or NEDD8 (neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated 8). Together, cellular ubiquitination events form a sophisticated and versatile ubiquitin code. Deubiquitinases (DUBs) reverse ubiquitin signals with equally high sophistication. In this review, we conceptualize the many layers of specificity that DUBs encompass to control the ubiquitin code and discuss examples in which DUB specificity has been understood at the molecular level. We further discuss the many mechanisms of DUB regulation with a focus on those that modulate catalytic activity. Our review provides a framework to tackle lingering questions in DUB biology.

Publisher Correction: Breaking the chains: deubiquitylating enzyme specificity begets function.

Figure 2 of the article as originally published contained a graphic editing error, whereby the publisher's redrawn figure wrongly indicated the presence of a Drosophila melanogaster orthologue of ZUP1. This has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the manuscript.

Breaking the chains: deubiquitylating enzyme specificity begets function.

The deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs, also known as deubiquitylases or deubiquitinases) maintain the dynamic state of the cellular ubiquitome by releasing conjugated ubiquitin from proteins. In light of the many cellular functions of ubiquitin, DUBs occupy key roles in almost all aspects of cell behaviour. Many DUBs show selectivity for particular ubiquitin linkage types or positions within ubiquitin chains. Others show chain-type promiscuity but can select a distinct palette of protein substrates via specific protein-protein interactions established through binding modules outside of the catalytic domain. The ubiquitin chain cleavage mode or chain linkage specificity has been related directly to biological functions. Examples include regulation of protein degradation and ubiquitin recycling by the proteasome, DNA repair pathways and innate immune signalling. DUB cleavage specificity is also being harnessed for analysis of ubiquitin chain architecture that is assembled on specific proteins. The recent development of highly specific DUB inhibitors heralds their emergence as a new class of therapeutic targets for numerous diseases.

The Deubiquitinase OTULIN Is an Essential Negative Regulator of Inflammation and Autoimmunity.

Methionine-1 (M1)-linked ubiquitin chains regulate the activity of NF-κB, immune homeostasis, and responses to infection. The importance of negative regulators of M1-linked chains in vivo remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the M1-specific deubiquitinase OTULIN is essential for preventing TNF-associated systemic inflammation in humans and mice. A homozygous hypomorphic mutation in human OTULIN causes a potentially fatal autoinflammatory condition termed OTULIN-related autoinflammatory syndrome (ORAS). Four independent OTULIN mouse models reveal that OTULIN deficiency in immune cells results in cell-type-specific effects, ranging from over-production of inflammatory cytokines and autoimmunity due to accumulation of M1-linked polyubiquitin and spontaneous NF-κB activation in myeloid cells to downregulation of M1-polyubiquitin signaling by degradation of LUBAC in B and T cells. Remarkably, treatment with anti-TNF neutralizing antibodies ameliorates inflammation in ORAS patients and rescues mouse phenotypes. Hence, OTULIN is critical for restraining life-threatening spontaneous inflammation and maintaining immune homeostasis.

OTU deubiquitinases reveal mechanisms of linkage specificity and enable ubiquitin chain restriction analysis.

Sixteen ovarian tumor (OTU) family deubiquitinases (DUBs) exist in humans, and most members regulate cell-signaling cascades. Several OTU DUBs were reported to be ubiquitin (Ub) chain linkage specific, but comprehensive analyses are missing, and the underlying mechanisms of linkage specificity are unclear. Using Ub chains of all eight linkage types, we reveal that most human OTU enzymes are linkage specific, preferring one, two, or a defined subset of linkage types, including unstudied atypical Ub chains. Biochemical analysis and five crystal structures of OTU DUBs with or without Ub substrates reveal four mechanisms of linkage specificity. Additional Ub-binding domains, the ubiquitinated sequence in the substrate, and defined S1' and S2 Ub-binding sites on the OTU domain enable OTU DUBs to distinguish linkage types. We introduce Ub chain restriction analysis, in which OTU DUBs are used as restriction enzymes to reveal linkage type and the relative abundance of Ub chains on substrates.

OTULIN antagonizes LUBAC signaling by specifically hydrolyzing Met1-linked polyubiquitin.

The linear ubiquitin (Ub) chain assembly complex (LUBAC) is an E3 ligase that specifically assembles Met1-linked (also known as linear) Ub chains that regulate nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling. Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are key regulators of Ub signaling, but a dedicated DUB for Met1 linkages has not been identified. Here, we reveal a previously unannotated human DUB, OTULIN (also known as FAM105B), which is exquisitely specific for Met1 linkages. Crystal structures of the OTULIN catalytic domain in complex with diubiquitin reveal Met1-specific Ub-binding sites and a mechanism of substrate-assisted catalysis in which the proximal Ub activates the catalytic triad of the protease. Mutation of Ub Glu16 inhibits OTULIN activity by reducing kcat 240-fold. OTULIN overexpression or knockdown affects NF-κB responses to LUBAC, TNFα, and poly(I:C) and sensitizes cells to TNFα-induced cell death. We show that OTULIN binds LUBAC and that overexpression of OTULIN prevents TNFα-induced NEMO association with ubiquitinated RIPK1. Our data suggest that OTULIN regulates Met1-polyUb signaling.

Activation mechanism of PINK1.

Mutations in the protein kinase PINK1 lead to defects in mitophagy and cause autosomal recessive early onset Parkinson's disease1,2. PINK1 has many unique features that enable it to phosphorylate ubiquitin and the ubiquitin-like domain of Parkin3-9. Structural analysis of PINK1 from diverse insect species10-12 with and without ubiquitin provided snapshots of distinct structural states yet did not explain how PINK1 is activated. Here we elucidate the activation mechanism of PINK1 using crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). A crystal structure of unphosphorylated Pediculus humanus corporis (Ph; human body louse) PINK1 resolves an N-terminal helix, revealing the orientation of unphosphorylated yet active PINK1 on the mitochondria. We further provide a cryo-EM structure of a symmetric PhPINK1 dimer trapped during the process of trans-autophosphorylation, as well as a cryo-EM structure of phosphorylated PhPINK1 undergoing a conformational change to an active ubiquitin kinase state. Structures and phosphorylation studies further identify a role for regulatory PINK1 oxidation. Together, our research delineates the complete activation mechanism of PINK1, illuminates how PINK1 interacts with the mitochondrial outer membrane and reveals how PINK1 activity may be modulated by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species.

Global Landscape and Dynamics of Parkin and USP30-Dependent Ubiquitylomes in iNeurons during Mitophagic Signaling.

The ubiquitin ligase Parkin, protein kinase PINK1, USP30 deubiquitylase, and p97 segregase function together to regulate turnover of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy, but our mechanistic understanding in neurons is limited. Here, we combine induced neurons (iNeurons) derived from embryonic stem cells with quantitative proteomics to reveal the dynamics and specificity of Parkin-dependent ubiquitylation under endogenous expression conditions. Targets showing elevated ubiquitylation in USP30-/- iNeurons are concentrated in components of the mitochondrial translocon, and the ubiquitylation kinetics of the vast majority of Parkin targets are unaffected, correlating with a modest kinetic acceleration in accumulation of pS65-Ub and mitophagic flux upon mitochondrial depolarization without USP30. Basally, ubiquitylated translocon import substrates accumulate, suggesting a quality control function for USP30. p97 was dispensable for Parkin ligase activity in iNeurons. This work provides an unprecedented quantitative landscape of the Parkin-modified ubiquitylome in iNeurons and reveals the underlying specificity of central regulatory elements in the pathway.

The ubiquitin code.

The posttranslational modification with ubiquitin, a process referred to as ubiquitylation, controls almost every process in cells. Ubiquitin can be attached to substrate proteins as a single moiety or in the form of polymeric chains in which successive ubiquitin molecules are connected through specific isopeptide bonds. Reminiscent of a code, the various ubiquitin modifications adopt distinct conformations and lead to different outcomes in cells. Here, we discuss the structure, assembly, and function of this ubiquitin code.

Distinct USP25 and USP28 Oligomerization States Regulate Deubiquitinating Activity.

The evolutionarily related deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) USP25 and USP28 comprise an identical overall domain architecture but are functionally non-redundant: USP28 stabilizes c-MYC and other nuclear proteins, and USP25 regulates inflammatory TRAF signaling. We here compare molecular features of USP25 and USP28. Active enzymes form distinctively shaped dimers, with a dimerizing insertion spatially separating independently active catalytic domains. In USP25, but not USP28, two dimers can form an autoinhibited tetramer, where a USP25-specific, conserved insertion sequence blocks ubiquitin binding. In full-length enzymes, a C-terminal domain with a previously unknown fold has no impact on oligomerization, but N-terminal regions affect the dimer-tetramer equilibrium in vitro. We confirm oligomeric states of USP25 and USP28 in cells and show that modulating oligomerization affects substrate stabilization in accordance with in vitro activity data. Our work highlights how regions outside of the catalytic domain enable a conceptually intriguing interplay of DUB oligomerization and activity.

PPTC7 antagonizes mitophagy by promoting BNIP3 and NIX degradation via SCFFBXL4.

Mitophagy must be carefully regulated to ensure that cells maintain appropriate numbers of functional mitochondria. The SCFFBXL4 ubiquitin ligase complex suppresses mitophagy by controlling the degradation of BNIP3 and NIX mitophagy receptors, and FBXL4 mutations result in mitochondrial disease as a consequence of elevated mitophagy. Here, we reveal that the mitochondrial phosphatase PPTC7 is an essential cofactor for SCFFBXL4-mediated destruction of BNIP3 and NIX, suppressing both steady-state and induced mitophagy. Disruption of the phosphatase activity of PPTC7 does not influence BNIP3 and NIX turnover. Rather, a pool of PPTC7 on the mitochondrial outer membrane acts as an adaptor linking BNIP3 and NIX to FBXL4, facilitating the turnover of these mitophagy receptors. PPTC7 accumulates on the outer mitochondrial membrane in response to mitophagy induction or the absence of FBXL4, suggesting a homoeostatic feedback mechanism that attenuates high levels of mitophagy. We mapped critical residues required for PPTC7-BNIP3/NIX and PPTC7-FBXL4 interactions and their disruption interferes with both BNIP3/NIX degradation and mitophagy suppression. Collectively, these findings delineate a complex regulatory mechanism that restricts BNIP3/NIX-induced mitophagy.

Ubiquitin-Mediated Regulation of RIPK1 Kinase Activity Independent of IKK and MK2.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) can drive inflammation, cell survival, and death. While ubiquitylation-, phosphorylation-, and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-dependent checkpoints suppress the cytotoxic potential of TNF, it remains unclear whether ubiquitylation can directly repress TNF-induced death. Here, we show that ubiquitylation regulates RIPK1's cytotoxic potential not only via activation of downstream kinases and NF-kB transcriptional responses, but also by directly repressing RIPK1 kinase activity via ubiquitin-dependent inactivation. We find that the ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP)1 is required for optimal ubiquitin-lysine occupancy and K48 ubiquitylation of RIPK1. Independently of IKK and MK2, cIAP1-mediated and UBA-assisted ubiquitylation suppresses RIPK1 kinase auto-activation and, in addition, marks it for proteasomal degradation. In the absence of a functional UBA domain of cIAP1, more active RIPK1 kinase accumulates in response to TNF, causing RIPK1 kinase-mediated cell death and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. These results reveal a direct role for cIAP-mediated ubiquitylation in controlling RIPK1 kinase activity and preventing TNF-mediated cytotoxicity.

Oligomerization-driven MLKL ubiquitylation antagonizes necroptosis.

Mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) is the executioner in the caspase-independent form of programmed cell death called necroptosis. Receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) phosphorylates MLKL, triggering MLKL oligomerization, membrane translocation and membrane disruption. MLKL also undergoes ubiquitylation during necroptosis, yet neither the mechanism nor the significance of this event has been demonstrated. Here, we show that necroptosis-specific multi-mono-ubiquitylation of MLKL occurs following its activation and oligomerization. Ubiquitylated MLKL accumulates in a digitonin-insoluble cell fraction comprising organellar and plasma membranes and protein aggregates. Appearance of this ubiquitylated MLKL form can be reduced by expression of a plasma membrane-located deubiquitylating enzyme. Oligomerization-induced MLKL ubiquitylation occurs on at least four separate lysine residues and correlates with its proteasome- and lysosome-dependent turnover. Using a MLKL-DUB fusion strategy, we show that constitutive removal of ubiquitin from MLKL licences MLKL auto-activation independent of necroptosis signalling in mouse and human cells. Therefore, in addition to the role of ubiquitylation in the kinetic regulation of MLKL-induced death following an exogenous necroptotic stimulus, it also contributes to restraining basal levels of activated MLKL to avoid unwanted cell death.

Insights into ubiquitin chain architecture using Ub-clipping.

Protein ubiquitination is a multi-functional post-translational modification that affects all cellular processes. Its versatility arises from architecturally complex polyubiquitin chains, in which individual ubiquitin moieties may be ubiquitinated on one or multiple residues, and/or modified by phosphorylation and acetylation1-3. Advances in mass spectrometry have enabled the mapping of individual ubiquitin modifications that generate the ubiquitin code; however, the architecture of polyubiquitin signals has remained largely inaccessible. Here we introduce Ub-clipping as a methodology by which to understand polyubiquitin signals and architectures. Ub-clipping uses an engineered viral protease, Lbpro∗, to incompletely remove ubiquitin from substrates and leave the signature C-terminal GlyGly dipeptide attached to the modified residue; this simplifies the direct assessment of protein ubiquitination on substrates and within polyubiquitin. Monoubiquitin generated by Lbpro∗ retains GlyGly-modified residues, enabling the quantification of multiply GlyGly-modified branch-point ubiquitin. Notably, we find that a large amount (10-20%) of ubiquitin in polymers seems to exist as branched chains. Moreover, Ub-clipping enables the assessment of co-existing ubiquitin modifications. The analysis of depolarized mitochondria reveals that PINK1/parkin-mediated mitophagy predominantly exploits mono- and short-chain polyubiquitin, in which phosphorylated ubiquitin moieties are not further modified. Ub-clipping can therefore provide insight into the combinatorial complexity and architecture of the ubiquitin code.

Ubiquitin Linkage-Specific Affimers Reveal Insights into K6-Linked Ubiquitin Signaling.

Several ubiquitin chain types have remained unstudied, mainly because tools and techniques to detect these posttranslational modifications are scarce. Linkage-specific antibodies have shaped our understanding of the roles and dynamics of polyubiquitin signals but are available for only five out of eight linkage types. We here characterize K6- and K33-linkage-specific "affimer" reagents as high-affinity ubiquitin interactors. Crystal structures of affimers bound to their cognate chain types reveal mechanisms of specificity and a K11 cross-reactivity in the K33 affimer. Structure-guided improvements yield superior affinity reagents suitable for western blotting, confocal fluorescence microscopy and pull-down applications. This allowed us to identify RNF144A and RNF144B as E3 ligases that assemble K6-, K11-, and K48-linked polyubiquitin in vitro. A protocol to enrich K6-ubiquitinated proteins from cells identifies HUWE1 as a main E3 ligase for this chain type, and we show that mitofusin-2 is modified with K6-linked polyubiquitin in a HUWE1-dependent manner.

Identification and characterization of diverse OTU deubiquitinases in bacteria.

Manipulation of host ubiquitin signaling is becoming an increasingly apparent evolutionary strategy among bacterial and viral pathogens. By removing host ubiquitin signals, for example, invading pathogens can inactivate immune response pathways and evade detection. The ovarian tumor (OTU) family of deubiquitinases regulates diverse ubiquitin signals in humans. Viral pathogens have also extensively co-opted the OTU fold to subvert host signaling, but the extent to which bacteria utilize the OTU fold was unknown. We have predicted and validated a set of OTU deubiquitinases encoded by several classes of pathogenic bacteria. Biochemical assays highlight the ubiquitin and polyubiquitin linkage specificities of these bacterial deubiquitinases. By determining the ubiquitin-bound structures of two examples, we demonstrate the novel strategies that have evolved to both thread an OTU fold and recognize a ubiquitin substrate. With these new examples, we perform the first cross-kingdom structural analysis of the OTU fold that highlights commonalities among distantly related OTU deubiquitinases.

Mechanism and inhibition of the papain-like protease, PLpro, of SARS-CoV-2.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus encodes an essential papain-like protease domain as part of its non-structural protein (nsp)-3, namely SARS2 PLpro, that cleaves the viral polyprotein, but also removes ubiquitin-like ISG15 protein modifications as well as, with lower activity, Lys48-linked polyubiquitin. Structures of PLpro bound to ubiquitin and ISG15 reveal that the S1 ubiquitin-binding site is responsible for high ISG15 activity, while the S2 binding site provides Lys48 chain specificity and cleavage efficiency. To identify PLpro inhibitors in a repurposing approach, screening of 3,727 unique approved drugs and clinical compounds against SARS2 PLpro identified no compounds that inhibited PLpro consistently or that could be validated in counterscreens. More promisingly, non-covalent small molecule SARS PLpro inhibitors also target SARS2 PLpro, prevent self-processing of nsp3 in cells and display high potency and excellent antiviral activity in a SARS-CoV-2 infection model.

Atypical ubiquitylation - the unexplored world of polyubiquitin beyond Lys48 and Lys63 linkages.

Ubiquitylation is one of the most abundant and versatile post-translational modifications (PTMs) in cells. Its versatility arises from the ability of ubiquitin to form eight structurally and functionally distinct polymers, in which ubiquitin moieties are linked via one of seven Lys residues or the amino terminus. Whereas the roles of Lys48- and Lys63-linked polyubiquitin in protein degradation and cellular signalling are well characterized, the functions of the remaining six 'atypical' ubiquitin chain types (linked via Lys6, Lys11, Lys27, Lys29, Lys33 and Met1) are less well defined. Recent developments provide insights into the mechanisms of ubiquitin chain assembly, recognition and hydrolysis and allow detailed analysis of the functions of atypical ubiquitin chains. The importance of Lys11 linkages and Met1 linkages in cell cycle regulation and nuclear factor-κB activation, respectively, highlight that the different ubiquitin chain types should be considered as functionally independent PTMs.

Specific recognition of linear ubiquitin chains by NEMO is important for NF-kappaB activation.

Activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), a key mediator of inducible transcription in immunity, requires binding of NF-kappaB essential modulator (NEMO) to ubiquitinated substrates. Here, we report that the UBAN (ubiquitin binding in ABIN and NEMO) motif of NEMO selectively binds linear (head-to-tail) ubiquitin chains. Crystal structures of the UBAN motif revealed a parallel coiled-coil dimer that formed a heterotetrameric complex with two linear diubiquitin molecules. The UBAN dimer contacted all four ubiquitin moieties, and the integrity of each binding site was required for efficient NF-kappaB activation. Binding occurred via a surface on the proximal ubiquitin moiety and the canonical Ile44 surface on the distal one, thereby providing specificity for linear chain recognition. Residues of NEMO involved in binding linear ubiquitin chains are required for NF-kappaB activation by TNF-alpha and other agonists, providing an explanation for the detrimental effect of NEMO mutations in patients suffering from X-linked ectodermal dysplasia and immunodeficiency.

Mechanism of parkin activation by PINK1.

Mutations in the E3 ubiquitin ligase parkin (PARK2, also known as PRKN) and the protein kinase PINK1 (also known as PARK6) are linked to autosomal-recessive juvenile parkinsonism (AR-JP)1,2; at the cellular level, these mutations cause defects in mitophagy, the process that organizes the destruction of damaged mitochondria3,4. Parkin is autoinhibited, and requires activation by PINK1, which phosphorylates Ser65 in ubiquitin and in the parkin ubiquitin-like (Ubl) domain. Parkin binds phospho-ubiquitin, which enables efficient parkin phosphorylation; however, the enzyme remains autoinhibited with an inaccessible active site5,6. It is unclear how phosphorylation of parkin activates the molecule. Here we follow the activation of full-length human parkin by hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, and reveal large-scale domain rearrangement in the activation process, during which the phospho-Ubl rebinds to the parkin core and releases the catalytic RING2 domain. A 1.8 Å crystal structure of phosphorylated human parkin reveals the binding site of the phospho-Ubl on the unique parkin domain (UPD), involving a phosphate-binding pocket lined by AR-JP mutations. Notably, a conserved linker region between Ubl and the UPD acts as an activating element (ACT) that contributes to RING2 release by mimicking RING2 interactions on the UPD, explaining further AR-JP mutations. Our data show how autoinhibition in parkin is resolved, and suggest a mechanism for how parkin ubiquitinates its substrates via an untethered RING2 domain. These findings open new avenues for the design of parkin activators for clinical use.