scholarly journals Out of Control: The Role of the Ubiquitin Proteasome System in Skeletal Muscle during Inflammation

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1327
Author(s):  
Stefanie Haberecht-Müller ◽  
Elke Krüger ◽  
Jens Fielitz

The majority of critically ill intensive care unit (ICU) patients with severe sepsis develop ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW) characterized by loss of muscle mass, reduction in myofiber size and decreased muscle strength leading to persisting physical impairment. This phenotype results from a dysregulated protein homeostasis with increased protein degradation and decreased protein synthesis, eventually causing a decrease in muscle structural proteins. The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is the predominant protein-degrading system in muscle that is activated during diverse muscle atrophy conditions, e.g., inflammation. The specificity of UPS-mediated protein degradation is assured by E3 ubiquitin ligases, such as atrogin-1 and MuRF1, which target structural and contractile proteins, proteins involved in energy metabolism and transcription factors for UPS-dependent degradation. Although the regulation of activity and function of E3 ubiquitin ligases in inflammation-induced muscle atrophy is well perceived, the contribution of the proteasome to muscle atrophy during inflammation is still elusive. During inflammation, a shift from standard- to immunoproteasome was described; however, to which extent this contributes to muscle wasting and whether this changes targeting of specific muscular proteins is not well described. This review summarizes the function of the main proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase response proteins and their signaling pathways in inflammation-induced muscle atrophy with a focus on UPS-mediated protein degradation in muscle during sepsis. The regulation and target-specificity of the main E3 ubiquitin ligases in muscle atrophy and their mode of action on myofibrillar proteins will be reported. The function of the standard- and immunoproteasome in inflammation-induced muscle atrophy will be described and the effects of proteasome-inhibitors as treatment strategies will be discussed.

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Canning ◽  
Alex N. Bullock

E3 ubiquitin ligases that direct substrate proteins to the ubiquitin–proteasome system are promising, though largely unexplored drug targets both because of their function and their remarkable specificity. CRLs [Cullin–RING (really interesting new gene) ligases] are the largest group of E3 ligases and function as modular multisubunit complexes constructed around a Cullin-family scaffold protein. The Cul3-based CRLs uniquely assemble with BTB (broad complex/tramtrack/bric-à-brac) proteins that also homodimerize and perform the role of both the Cullin adapter and the substrate-recognition component of the E3. The most prominent member is the BTB–BACK (BTB and C-terminal Kelch)–Kelch protein KEAP1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1), a master regulator of the oxidative stress response and a potential drug target for common conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Structural characterization of BTB–Cul3 complexes has revealed a number of critical assembly mechanisms, including the binding of an N-terminal Cullin extension to a bihelical ‘3-box’ at the C-terminus of the BTB domain. Improved understanding of the structure of these complexes should contribute significantly to the effort to develop novel therapeutics targeted to CRL3-regulated pathways.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 5962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Shiromizu ◽  
Mizuki Yuge ◽  
Kousuke Kasahara ◽  
Daishi Yamakawa ◽  
Takaaki Matsui ◽  
...  

Cilia are antenna-like structures present in many vertebrate cells. These organelles detect extracellular cues, transduce signals into the cell, and play an essential role in ensuring correct cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation in a spatiotemporal manner. Not surprisingly, dysregulation of cilia can cause various diseases, including cancer and ciliopathies, which are complex disorders caused by mutations in genes regulating ciliary function. The structure and function of cilia are dynamically regulated through various mechanisms, among which E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases play crucial roles. These enzymes regulate the degradation and stabilization of ciliary proteins through the ubiquitin–proteasome system. In this review, we briefly highlight the role of cilia in ciliopathy and cancer; describe the roles of E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases in ciliogenesis, ciliopathy, and cancer; and highlight some of the E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases that are potential therapeutic targets for these disorders.


PLoS Genetics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. e1010015
Author(s):  
Cécile Ribot ◽  
Cédric Soler ◽  
Aymeric Chartier ◽  
Sandy Al Hayek ◽  
Rima Naït-Saïdi ◽  
...  

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a late-onset disorder characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of specific muscles. OPMD is due to extension of a polyalanine tract in poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). Aggregation of the mutant protein in muscle nuclei is a hallmark of the disease. Previous transcriptomic analyses revealed the consistent deregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in OPMD animal models and patients, suggesting a role of this deregulation in OPMD pathogenesis. Subsequent studies proposed that UPS contribution to OPMD involved PABPN1 aggregation. Here, we use a Drosophila model of OPMD to address the functional importance of UPS deregulation in OPMD. Through genome-wide and targeted genetic screens we identify a large number of UPS components that are involved in OPMD. Half dosage of UPS genes reduces OPMD muscle defects suggesting a pathological increase of UPS activity in the disease. Quantification of proteasome activity confirms stronger activity in OPMD muscles, associated with degradation of myofibrillar proteins. Importantly, improvement of muscle structure and function in the presence of UPS mutants does not correlate with the levels of PABPN1 aggregation, but is linked to decreased degradation of muscle proteins. Oral treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 is beneficial to the OPMD Drosophila model, improving muscle function although PABPN1 aggregation is enhanced. This functional study reveals the importance of increased UPS activity that underlies muscle atrophy in OPMD. It also provides a proof-of-concept that inhibitors of proteasome activity might be an attractive pharmacological approach for OPMD.


2008 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 2099-2108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair Teale ◽  
Stephanie Campbell ◽  
Nick Van Buuren ◽  
Wendy C. Magee ◽  
Kelly Watmough ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Cellular homeostasis depends on an intricate balance of protein expression and degradation. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway plays a crucial role in specifically targeting proteins tagged with ubiquitin for destruction. This degradation can be effectively blocked by both chemically synthesized and natural proteasome inhibitors. Poxviruses encode a number of proteins that exploit the ubiquitin-proteasome system, including virally encoded ubiquitin molecules and ubiquitin ligases, as well as BTB/kelch proteins and F-box proteins, which interact with cellular ubiquitin ligases. Here we show that poxvirus infection was dramatically affected by a range of proteasome inhibitors, including MG132, MG115, lactacystin, and bortezomib (Velcade). Confocal microscopy demonstrated that infected cells treated with MG132 or bortezomib lacked viral replication factories within the cytoplasm. This was accompanied by the absence of late gene expression and DNA replication; however, early gene expression occurred unabated. Proteasomal inhibition with MG132 or bortezomib also had dramatic effects on viral titers, severely blocking viral replication and propagation. The effects of MG132 on poxvirus infection were reversible upon washout, resulting in the production of late genes and viral replication factories. Significantly, the addition of an ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1) inhibitor had a similar affect on late and early protein expression. Together, our data suggests that a functional ubiquitin-proteasome system is required during poxvirus infection.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (24) ◽  
pp. 5938
Author(s):  
Jeongkwan Hong ◽  
Minho Won ◽  
Hyunju Ro

The ligand of Numb protein-X (LNX) family, also known as the PDZRN family, is composed of four discrete RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligases (LNX1, LNX2, LNX3, and LNX4), and LNX5 which may not act as an E3 ubiquitin ligase owing to the lack of the RING domain. As the name implies, LNX1 and LNX2 were initially studied for exerting E3 ubiquitin ligase activity on their substrate Numb protein, whose stability was negatively regulated by LNX1 and LNX2 via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. LNX proteins may have versatile molecular, cellular, and developmental functions, considering the fact that besides these proteins, none of the E3 ubiquitin ligases have multiple PDZ (PSD95, DLGA, ZO-1) domains, which are regarded as important protein-interacting modules. Thus far, various proteins have been isolated as LNX-interacting proteins. Evidence from studies performed over the last two decades have suggested that members of the LNX family play various pathophysiological roles primarily by modulating the function of substrate proteins involved in several different intracellular or intercellular signaling cascades. As the binding partners of RING-type E3s, a large number of substrates of LNX proteins undergo degradation through ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) dependent or lysosomal pathways, potentially altering key signaling pathways. In this review, we highlight recent and relevant findings on the molecular and cellular functions of the members of the LNX family and discuss the role of the erroneous regulation of these proteins in disease progression.


2015 ◽  
Vol 467 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil Bulatov ◽  
Alessio Ciulli

In the last decade, the ubiquitin–proteasome system has emerged as a valid target for the development of novel therapeutics. E3 ubiquitin ligases are particularly attractive targets because they confer substrate specificity on the ubiquitin system. CRLs [Cullin–RING (really interesting new gene) E3 ubiquitin ligases] draw particular attention, being the largest family of E3s. The CRLs assemble into functional multisubunit complexes using a repertoire of substrate receptors, adaptors, Cullin scaffolds and RING-box proteins. Drug discovery targeting CRLs is growing in importance due to mounting evidence pointing to significant roles of these enzymes in diverse biological processes and human diseases, including cancer, where CRLs and their substrates often function as tumour suppressors or oncogenes. In the present review, we provide an account of the assembly and structure of CRL complexes, and outline the current state of the field in terms of available knowledge of small-molecule inhibitors and modulators of CRL activity. A comprehensive overview of the reported crystal structures of CRL subunits, components and full-size complexes, alone or with bound small molecules and substrate peptides, is included. This information is providing increasing opportunities to aid the rational structure-based design of chemical probes and potential small-molecule therapeutics targeting CRLs.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3079
Author(s):  
Gabriel LaPlante ◽  
Wei Zhang

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a critical regulator of cellular protein levels and activity. It is, therefore, not surprising that its dysregulation is implicated in numerous human diseases, including many types of cancer. Moreover, since cancer cells exhibit increased rates of protein turnover, their heightened dependence on the UPS makes it an attractive target for inhibition via targeted therapeutics. Indeed, the clinical application of proteasome inhibitors in treatment of multiple myeloma has been very successful, stimulating the development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting other UPS components. On the other hand, while the discovery of potent and selective chemical compounds can be both challenging and time consuming, the area of targeted protein degradation through utilization of the UPS machinery has seen promising developments in recent years. The repertoire of proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), which employ E3 ligases for the degradation of cancer-related proteins via the proteasome, continues to grow. In this review, we will provide a thorough overview of small-molecule UPS inhibitors and highlight advancements in the development of targeted protein degradation strategies for cancer therapeutics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1526
Author(s):  
Junyan Qu ◽  
Tingting Zou ◽  
Zhenghong Lin

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a highly dynamic organelle in eukaryotic cells, which is essential for synthesis, processing, sorting of protein and lipid metabolism. However, the cells activate a defense mechanism called endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) response and initiate unfolded protein response (UPR) as the unfolded proteins exceed the folding capacity of the ER due to the environmental influences or increased protein synthesis. ER stress can mediate many cellular processes, including autophagy, apoptosis and senescence. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is involved in the degradation of more than 80% of proteins in the cells. Today, increasing numbers of studies have shown that the two important components of UPS, E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases (DUBs), are tightly related to ER stress. In this review, we summarized the regulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligases and DUBs in ER stress.


2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (7) ◽  
pp. E651-E662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuro Egawa ◽  
Ayumi Goto ◽  
Yoshitaka Ohno ◽  
Shingo Yokoyama ◽  
Akihiro Ikuta ◽  
...  

AMPK is considered to have a role in regulating skeletal muscle mass. However, there are no studies investigating the function of AMPK in modulating skeletal muscle mass during atrophic conditions. In the present study, we investigated the difference in unloading-associated muscle atrophy and molecular functions in response to 2-wk hindlimb suspension between transgenic mice overexpressing the dominant-negative mutant of AMPK (AMPK-DN) and their wild-type (WT) littermates. Male WT ( n = 24) and AMPK-DN ( n = 24) mice were randomly divided into two groups: an untreated preexperimental control group ( n = 12 in each group) and an unloading ( n = 12 in each group) group. The relative soleus muscle weight and fiber cross-sectional area to body weight were decreased by ∼30% in WT mice by hindlimb unloading and by ∼20% in AMPK-DN mice. There were no changes in puromycin-labeled protein or Akt/70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase signaling, the indicators of protein synthesis. The expressions of ubiquitinated proteins and muscle RING finger 1 mRNA and protein, markers of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, were increased by hindlimb unloading in WT mice but not in AMPK-DN mice. The expressions of molecules related to the protein degradation system, phosphorylated forkhead box class O3a, inhibitor of κBα, microRNA (miR)-1, and miR-23a, were decreased only in WT mice in response to hindlimb unloading, and 72-kDa heat shock protein expression was higher in AMPK-DN mice than in WT mice. These results imply that AMPK partially regulates unloading-induced atrophy of slow-twitch muscle possibly through modulation of the protein degradation system, especially the ubiquitin-proteasome system.


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