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Franz P, Fierz B. Decoding Chromatin Ubiquitylation: A Chemical Biology Perspective. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168442. [PMID: 38211893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Since Strahl and Allis proposed the "language of covalent histone modifications", a host of experimental studies have shed light on the different facets of chromatin regulation by epigenetic mechanisms. Initially proposed as a concept for controlling gene transcription, the regulation of deposition and removal of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation, have been implicated in many chromatin regulation pathways. However, large PTMs such as ubiquitylation challenge research on many levels due to their chemical complexity. In recent years, chemical tools have been developed to generate chromatin in defined ubiquitylation states in vitro. Chemical biology approaches are now used to link specific histone ubiquitylation marks with downstream chromatin regulation events on the molecular level. Here, we want to highlight how chemical biology approaches have empowered the mechanistic study of chromatin ubiquitylation in the context of gene regulation and DNA repair with attention to future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Franz
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Beat Fierz
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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2
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Immler F, Schneider T, Kovermann M. Targeted Preparation and NMR Spectroscopic Characterization of Lys11-Linked Ubiquitin Trimers. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300670. [PMID: 37983597 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitylation refers to the attachment of mono- or poly-ubiquitin molecules to a substrate protein. To shield ubiquitin chains against potential hydrolysis, a facile, click-chemistry based approach was recently established for the generation of site-specifically conjugated ubiquitin dimers relying on triazole-linkage. Here, the preparation of such ubiquitin chains was advanced by the generation of homotypic Lys11-linked ubiquitin trimers considering an isotopic labeling scheme in a moiety-wise manner. The structural and dynamical impact on the ubiquitin unit at proximal, central, or distal position that is potentially invoked by the respective other two moieties was systematically probed by heteronuclear high-resolution NMR spectroscopic approaches. As a result, conjugating a third ubiquitin moiety to the proximal or distal site of a ubiquitin dimer does not alter structural and dynamical characteristics as it has been seen for ubiquitin dimers. This observation suggests that recognition of a homotypically assembled ubiquitin chain by a potential substrate is primarily done by screening the length of a ubiquitin chain rather than relying on subtle changes in structure or dynamic properties of single ubiquitin moieties composing the chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Immler
- Universität Konstanz, Department of Chemistry and Graduate School of Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB), Universitätsstraße 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tobias Schneider
- Universität Konstanz, Department of Chemistry and Graduate School of Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB), Universitätsstraße 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Michael Kovermann
- Universität Konstanz, Department of Chemistry and Graduate School of Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB), Universitätsstraße 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
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3
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Saumer P, Scheffner M, Marx A, Stengel F. Interactome of intact chromatosome variants with site-specifically ubiquitylated and acetylated linker histone H1.2. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:101-113. [PMID: 37994785 PMCID: PMC10783519 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones have fundamental effects on chromatin structure and function. While the impact of PTMs on the function of core histones are increasingly well understood, this is much less the case for modifications of linker histone H1, which is at least in part due to a lack of proper tools. In this work, we establish the assembly of intact chromatosomes containing site-specifically ubiquitylated and acetylated linker histone H1.2 variants obtained by a combination of chemical biology approaches. We then use these complexes in a tailored affinity enrichment mass spectrometry workflow to identify and comprehensively characterize chromatosome-specific cellular interactomes and the impact of site-specific linker histone modifications on a proteome-wide scale. We validate and benchmark our approach by western-blotting and by confirming the involvement of chromatin-bound H1.2 in the recruitment of proteins involved in DNA double-strand break repair using an in vitro ligation assay. We relate our data to previous work and in particular compare it to data on modification-specific interaction partners of free H1. Taken together, our data supports the role of chromatin-bound H1 as a regulatory protein with distinct functions beyond DNA compaction and constitutes an important resource for future investigations of histone epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Saumer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Scheffner
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andreas Marx
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Florian Stengel
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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Wang YS, Wu KP, Jiang HK, Kurkute P, Chen RH. Branched Ubiquitination: Detection Methods, Biological Functions and Chemical Synthesis. Molecules 2020; 25:E5200. [PMID: 33182242 PMCID: PMC7664869 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitination is a versatile posttranslational modification that elicits signaling roles to impact on various cellular processes and disease states. The versatility is a result of the complexity of ubiquitin conjugates, ranging from a single ubiquitin monomer to polymers with different length and linkage types. Recent studies have revealed the abundant existence of branched ubiquitin chains in which one ubiquitin molecule is connected to two or more ubiquitin moieties in the same ubiquitin polymer. Compared to the homotypic ubiquitin chain, the branched chain is recognized or processed differently by readers and erasers of the ubiquitin system, respectively, resulting in a qualitative or quantitative alteration of the functional output. Furthermore, certain types of branched ubiquitination are induced by cellular stresses, implicating their important physiological role in stress adaption. In addition, the current chemical methodologies of solid phase peptide synthesis and expanding genetic code approach have been developed to synthesize different architectures of branched ubiquitin chains. The synthesized branched ubiquitin chains have shown their significance in understanding the topologies and binding partners of the branched chains. Here, we discuss the recent progresses on the detection, functional characterization and synthesis of branched ubiquitin chains as well as the future perspectives of this emerging field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yane-Shih Wang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (H.-K.J.); (P.K.)
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Phon Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (H.-K.J.); (P.K.)
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Han-Kai Jiang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (H.-K.J.); (P.K.)
- Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30044, Taiwan
| | - Prashant Kurkute
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (H.-K.J.); (P.K.)
- Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ruey-Hwa Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (H.-K.J.); (P.K.)
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Lutz J, Höllmüller E, Scheffner M, Marx A, Stengel F. The Length of a Ubiquitin Chain: A General Factor for Selective Recognition by Ubiquitin-Binding Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:12371-12375. [PMID: 32301549 PMCID: PMC7384046 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202003058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The attachment of ubiquitin (Ub) chains of various length to proteins is a prevalent posttranslational modification in eukaryotes. The fate of a modified protein is determined by Ub-binding proteins (UBPs), which interact with Ub chains in a linkage-selective manner. However, the impact and functional consequences of chain length on the binding selectivity of UBPs remain mostly elusive. We have generated Ub chains of defined length and linkage by using click chemistry and GELFrEE fractionation. These defined polymers were used in affinity-based enrichment assays to identify length- and linkage-selective interaction partners on a proteome-wide scale. For the first time, it is revealed that the length of a Ub chain generally has a major impact on its ability to be selectively recognized by UBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Lutz
- Departments of Chemistry and BiologyKonstanz Research School Chemical BiologyUniversity of KonstanzUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Eva Höllmüller
- Departments of Chemistry and BiologyKonstanz Research School Chemical BiologyUniversity of KonstanzUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Martin Scheffner
- Departments of Chemistry and BiologyKonstanz Research School Chemical BiologyUniversity of KonstanzUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Andreas Marx
- Departments of Chemistry and BiologyKonstanz Research School Chemical BiologyUniversity of KonstanzUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Florian Stengel
- Departments of Chemistry and BiologyKonstanz Research School Chemical BiologyUniversity of KonstanzUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
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Lutz J, Höllmüller E, Scheffner M, Marx A, Stengel F. Die Länge einer Ubiquitinkette: ein genereller Faktor für die selektive Erkennung durch Ubiquitin‐bindende Proteine. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202003058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Lutz
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology Universität Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Deutschland
| | - Eva Höllmüller
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology Universität Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Deutschland
| | - Martin Scheffner
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology Universität Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Deutschland
| | - Andreas Marx
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology Universität Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Deutschland
| | - Florian Stengel
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology Universität Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Deutschland
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Conformational and functional characterization of artificially conjugated non-canonical ubiquitin dimers. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19991. [PMID: 31882959 PMCID: PMC6934565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56458-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitylation is an eminent posttranslational modification referring to the covalent attachment of single ubiquitin molecules or polyubiquitin chains to a target protein dictating the fate of such labeled polypeptide chains. Here, we have biochemically produced artificially Lys11-, and Lys27-, and Lys63-linked ubiquitin dimers based on click-chemistry generating milligram quantities in high purity. We show that the artificial linkage used for the conjugation of two ubiquitin moieties represents a fully reliable surrogate of the natural isopeptide bond by acquiring highly resolved nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data including ligand binding studies. Extensive coarse grained and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allow to extract structures representing the ensemble of domain-domain conformations used to verify the experimental data. Advantageously, this methodology does not require individual isotopic labeling of both ubiquitin moieties as NMR data have been acquired on the isotopically labeled proximal moiety and complementary MD simulations have been used to fully interpret the experimental data in terms of domain-domain conformation. This combined approach intertwining NMR spectroscopy with MD simulations makes it possible to describe the conformational space non-canonically Lys11-, and Lys27-linked ubiquitin dimers occupy in a solution averaged ensemble by taking atomically resolved information representing all residues in ubiquitin dimers into account.
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Zhao X, Mißun M, Schneider T, Müller F, Lutz J, Scheffner M, Marx A, Kovermann M. Artificially Linked Ubiquitin Dimers Characterised Structurally and Dynamically by NMR Spectroscopy. Chembiochem 2019; 20:1772-1777. [PMID: 30920720 PMCID: PMC6771822 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
As one of the most prevalent post-translational modifications in eukaryotic cells, ubiquitylation plays vital roles in many cellular processes, such as protein degradation, DNA metabolism, and cell differentiation. Substrate proteins can be tagged by distinct types of polymeric ubiquitin (Ub) chains, which determine the eventual fate of the modified protein. A facile, click chemistry based approach for the efficient generation of linkage-defined Ub chains, including Ub dimers, was recently established. Within these chains, individual Ub moieties are connected through a triazole linkage, rather than the natural isopeptide bond. Herein, it is reported that the conformation of an artificially K48-linked Ub dimer resembles that of the natively linked dimer, with respect to structural and dynamic characteristics, as demonstrated by means of high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. Thus, it is proposed that artificially linked Ub dimers, as generated by this approach, represent potent tools for studying the inherently different properties and functions of distinct Ub chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Zhao
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Maite Mißun
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Tobias Schneider
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Franziska Müller
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Joachim Lutz
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Martin Scheffner
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Andreas Marx
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Michael Kovermann
- Universität KonstanzChemieUniversitätsstrasse 1078457KonstanzGermany
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