scholarly journals Negative regulation of autophagy by UBA6-BIRC6–mediated ubiquitination of LC3

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Jia ◽  
Juan S Bonifacino

Although the process of autophagy has been extensively studied, the mechanisms that regulate it remain insufficiently understood. To identify novel autophagy regulators, we performed a whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen in H4 human neuroglioma cells expressing endogenous LC3B tagged with a tandem of GFP and mCherry. Using this methodology, we identified the ubiquitin-activating enzyme UBA6 and the hybrid ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme/ubiquitin ligase BIRC6 as autophagy regulators. We found that these enzymes cooperate to monoubiquitinate LC3B, targeting it for proteasomal degradation. Knockout of UBA6 or BIRC6 increased autophagic flux under conditions of nutrient deprivation or protein synthesis inhibition. Moreover, UBA6 or BIRC6 depletion decreased the formation of aggresome-like induced structures in H4 cells, and α-synuclein aggregates in rat hippocampal neurons. These findings demonstrate that UBA6 and BIRC6 negatively regulate autophagy by limiting the availability of LC3B. Inhibition of UBA6/BIRC6 could be used to enhance autophagic clearance of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative disorders.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Jia ◽  
Juan S. Bonifacino

AbstractAlthough the process of autophagy has been extensively studied, the mechanisms that regulate it remain insufficiently understood. The ability to manipulate autophagy is important not only for addressing fundamental biological questions, but also for its possible application to the treatment of various human diseases. To identify novel regulators of autophagy, we performed a whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen in H4 human neuroblastoma cells gene-edited to express the endogenous autophagy effector LC3B fused to a tandem of GFP and mCherry. Using this methodology, we identified the ubiquitin-activating (E1) enzyme UBA6 and the hybrid ubiquitin-conjugating (E2)/ubiquitin-ligase (E3) enzyme BIRC6 as important autophagy regulators. We found that these two enzymes cooperate to monoubiquitinate LC3B on lysine-51, targeting it for degradation by the proteasome. Knockout of UBA6 or BIRC6 increased the levels of LC3B as well as autophagic flux under conditions of nutrient deprivation or protein synthesis inhibition. Moreover, depletion of UBA6 or BIRC6 KO decreased the formation of aggresome-like induced structures in H4 cells, and aggregates of an α-synuclein mutant in the axon of rat hippocampal neurons. These findings demonstrate that UBA6 and BIRC6 negatively regulate autophagy by limiting the availability of LC3B, possibly to prevent the deleterious effects of excessive autophagy. Inhibition of UBA6 or BIRC6, on the other hand, could be used to enhance autophagic clearance of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative disorders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (39) ◽  
pp. eabb0205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gennaro Gambardella ◽  
Leopoldo Staiano ◽  
Maria Nicoletta Moretti ◽  
Rossella De Cegli ◽  
Luca Fagnocchi ◽  
...  

Cells respond to starvation by shutting down protein synthesis and by activating catabolic processes, including autophagy, to recycle nutrients. This two-pronged response is mediated by the integrated stress response (ISR) through phosphorylation of eIF2α, which represses protein translation, and by inhibition of mTORC1 signaling, which promotes autophagy also through a stress-responsive transcriptional program. Implementation of such a program, however, requires protein synthesis, thus conflicting with general repression of translation. How is this mismatch resolved? We found that the main regulator of the starvation-induced transcriptional program, TFEB, counteracts protein synthesis inhibition by directly activating expression of GADD34, a component of the protein phosphatase 1 complex that dephosphorylates eIF2α. We discovered that GADD34 plays an essential role in autophagy by tuning translation during starvation, thus enabling lysosomal biogenesis and a sustained autophagic flux. Hence, the TFEB-GADD34 axis integrates the mTORC1 and ISR pathways in response to starvation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asma Babar ◽  
Kifayatullah Mengal ◽  
Abdul Hanan Babar ◽  
Shixin Wu ◽  
Mujahid Ali Shah ◽  
...  

: The world highest and largest altitude area is called the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (QTB), which harbors unique animal and plant species. Mammals that inhabit the higher altitude regions have adapted well to the hypoxic conditions. One of the main stressors at high altitude is hypoxia. Metabolic responses to hypoxia play important roles in cell survival strategies and some diseases. However, the homeostatic alterations that equilibrate variations in the demand and supply of energy to maintain organismal function in a prolonged low O2 environment persist partly understood, making it problematic to differentiate adaptive from maladaptive responses in hypoxia. Tibetans and yaks are two perfect examples innate to the plateau for high altitude adaptation. By the scan of the whole-genome, EPAS1 and EGLN1 were identified as key genes associated with sustained haemoglobin concentration in high altitude mammals for adaptation. The yak is a much more ancient mammal which has existed on QTB longer than humans, it is, therefore, possible that natural selection represented a diverse group of genes/pathways in yaks. Physiological characteristics are extremely informative in revealing molecular networks associated with inherited adaptation, in addition to the whole-genome adaptive changes at the DNA sequence level. Gene-expression can be changed by a variety of signals originating from the environment, and hypoxia is the main factor amongst them. The hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1α and EPAS1/HIF-2α) are the main regulators of oxygen in homeostasis which play a role as maestro regulators of adaptation in hypoxic reaction of molecular mechanisms. (Vague) The basis of this review is to present recent information regarding the molecular mechanism involved in hypoxia that regulates candidate genes and proteins. Many transcriptional responses toward hypoxia are facilitated by HIFs that change the number of gene expressions and help in angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, metabolic reprogramming and metastasis. HIFs also activate several signals highlighting a strong association between hypoxia, the misfolded proteins’ accumulation in the endoplasmic reticulum in stress and activation of unfolded protein response (UPR). It was observed that at high-altitude, pregnancies yield a low birth weight ∼100 g per1000 m of the climb. (Vague) It may involve variation in the events of energy-demanding, like protein synthesis. Prolonged hypobaric hypoxia causes placental ER stress, which in turn, moderates protein synthesis and reduces proliferation. Further, Cardiac hypertrophy by cytosolic Ca2+ raises and Ca2+/calmodulin, calcineurin stimulation, NF-AT3 pathway might be caused by an imbalance in Sarcoplasmic reticulum ER Ca2, might be adaptive in beginning but severe later.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talita A. M. Vrechi ◽  
Anderson H. F. F. Leão ◽  
Ingrid B. M. Morais ◽  
Vanessa C. Abílio ◽  
Antonio W. Zuardi ◽  
...  

AbstractAutophagy is a lysosomal catabolic process essential to cell homeostasis and is related to the neuroprotection of the central nervous system. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid present in Cannabis sativa. Many therapeutic actions have been linked to this compound, including autophagy activation. However, the precise underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear, and the downstream functional significance of these actions has yet to be determined. Here, we investigated CBD-evoked effects on autophagy in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and murine astrocyte cell lines. We found that CBD-induced autophagy was substantially reduced in the presence of CB1, CB2 and TRPV1 receptor antagonists, AM 251, AM 630 and capsazepine, respectively. This result strongly indicates that the activation of these receptors mediates the autophagic flux. Additionally, we demonstrated that CBD activates autophagy through ERK1/2 activation and AKT suppression. Interestingly, CBD-mediated autophagy activation is dependent on the autophagy initiator ULK1, but mTORC1 independent. Thus, it is plausible that a non-canonical pathway is involved. Our findings collectively provide evidence that CBD stimulates autophagy signal transduction via crosstalk between the ERK1/2 and AKT kinases, which represent putative regulators of cell proliferation and survival. Furthermore, our study sheds light on potential therapeutic cannabinoid targets that could be developed for treating neurodegenerative disorders.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Hughes ◽  
R. M. Downs ◽  
G. W. Webb ◽  
C. L. Crocker ◽  
S. T. Kinsey ◽  
...  

1977 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Pruzan ◽  
Philip B. Applewhite ◽  
Michael J. Bucci

2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Degui Wang ◽  
Yingxia Tian ◽  
Dong Wei ◽  
Yuhong Jing ◽  
Haitao Niu ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barney E. Dwyer ◽  
Robert N. Nishimura ◽  
Clydette L. Powell ◽  
Susan L. Mailheau

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henar López-Alonso ◽  
Juan Andrés Rubiolo ◽  
Félix Vega ◽  
Mercedes R. Vieytes ◽  
Luis M. Botana

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