Bmi1 Regulates IκBα Degradation via Association with the SCF Complex

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) alters many functions of the host intestinal epithelia. Inflammation is initiated by activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and paracellular permeability is enhanced via a Ca2+- and myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK)-dependent pathway. The aims of this study were to identify signaling pathways by which EPEC triggers inflammation and to determine whether these pathways parallel or diverge from those that alter permeability. EPEC-induced phosphorylation and degradation of the primary inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα) were tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β independent. In contrast to Salmonella typhimurium, EPEC-stimulated IκBα degradation and IL-8 expression did not require Ca2+. Instead, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1/2 was significantly and rapidly activated. ERK1/2 inhibitors attenuated IκBα degradation and IL-8 expression. Although ERK1/2 can activate MLCK, its inhibition had no impact on EPEC disruption of the tight junction barrier. In conclusion, EPEC-induced inflammation 1) is TNF-α and IL-1β receptor independent, 2) utilizes pathways differently from S. typhimurium, 3) requires ERK1/2, and 4) employs signals that are distinct from those that alter permeability. This is the first time that EPEC-activated signaling cascades have been linked to independent functional consequences.

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Unique N-Terminal Interactions Connect F-BOX STRESS INDUCED (FBS) Proteins to a WD40 Repeat-like Protein Pathway in Arabidopsis

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10102228 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 2228

Author(s):

Edgar Sepulveda-Garcia ◽

Elena C. Fulton ◽

Emily V. Parlan ◽

Lily E. O’Connor ◽

Anneke A. Fleming ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Stress ◽

Biological Function ◽

Interacting Proteins ◽

Wd40 Repeat ◽

Protein Targets ◽

Scf Complex ◽

Protein Target ◽

The Core ◽

N Terminus ◽

Nuclear Events

SCF-type E3 ubiquitin ligases provide specificity to numerous selective protein degradation events in plants, including those that enable survival under environmental stress. SCF complexes use F-box (FBX) proteins as interchangeable substrate adaptors to recruit protein targets for ubiquitylation. FBX proteins almost universally have structure with two domains: A conserved N-terminal F-box domain interacts with a SKP protein and connects the FBX protein to the core SCF complex, while a C-terminal domain interacts with the protein target and facilitates recruitment. The F-BOX STRESS INDUCED (FBS) subfamily of plant FBX proteins has an atypical structure, however, with a centrally located F-box domain and additional conserved regions at both the N- and C-termini. FBS proteins have been linked to environmental stress networks, but no ubiquitylation target(s) or biological function has been established for this subfamily. We have identified two WD40 repeat-like proteins in Arabidopsis that are highly conserved in plants and interact with FBS proteins, which we have named FBS INTERACTING PROTEINs (FBIPs). FBIPs interact exclusively with the N-terminus of FBS proteins, and this interaction occurs in the nucleus. FBS1 destabilizes FBIP1, consistent with FBIPs being ubiquitylation targets SCFFBS1 complexes. This work indicates that FBS proteins may function in stress-responsive nuclear events, and it identifies two WD40 repeat-like proteins as new tools with which to probe how an atypical SCF complex, SCFFBS, functions via FBX protein N-terminal interaction events.

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Host F-box protein 22 enhances the uptake of Brucella by macrophages and drives a sustained release of pro-inflammatory cytokines through degradation of the anti-inflammatory effector proteins of Brucella.

10.1101/2021.03.15.435452 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Girish Radhakrishnan ◽

Varadendra Mazumdar ◽

Kiranmai Joshi ◽

Binita Roy Nandi ◽

Swapna Namani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Responses ◽

Inflammatory Cytokines ◽

Effector Proteins ◽

Host Protein ◽

Limited Information ◽

Phagocytic Cells ◽

Scf Complex ◽

Enhanced Production ◽

Anti Inflammatory ◽

Pro Inflammatory Cytokines

Brucella species are intracellular bacterial pathogens, causing the world-wide zoonotic disease, brucellosis. Brucella invade professional and non-professional phagocytic cells, followed by resisting intracellular killing and establishing a replication permissive niche. Brucella also modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses of the host for their chronic persistence. The complex intracellular cycle of Brucella majorly depends on multiple host factors but limited information is available on host and bacterial proteins that play essential role in the invasion, intracellular replication and modulation of host immune responses. By employing an siRNA screening, we identified a role for the host protein, FBXO22 in Brucella -macrophage interaction. FBXO22 is the key element in the SCF E3 ubiquitination complex where it determines the substrate specificity for ubiquitination and degradation of various host proteins. Downregulation of FBXO22 by siRNA or CRISPR-Cas9 system, resulted diminished uptake of Brucella into macrophages, which was dependent on NF-κB-mediated regulation of phagocytic receptors. FBXO22 expression was upregulated in Brucella -infected macrophages that resulted induction of phagocytic receptors and enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines through NF-κB. Furthermore, we found that FBXO22 recruits the effector proteins of Brucella , including the anti-inflammatory proteins, TcpB and OMP25 for degradation through the SCF complex. We did not observe any role for another F-box containing protein of SCF complex, β-TrCP in Brucella -macrophage interaction. Our findings unravel novel functions of FBXO22 in host-pathogen interaction and its contribution to pathogenesis of infectious diseases.

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