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Wang X, Xu X, Wang Z. The Post-Translational Role of UFMylation in Physiology and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:2543. [PMID: 37947621 PMCID: PMC10648299 DOI: 10.3390/cells12212543] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1) is a newly identified ubiquitin-like protein that has been conserved during the evolution of multicellular organisms. In a similar manner to ubiquitin, UFM1 can become covalently linked to the lysine residue of a substrate via a dedicated enzymatic cascade. Although a limited number of substrates have been identified so far, UFM1 modification (UFMylation) has been demonstrated to play a vital role in a variety of cellular activities, including mammalian development, ribosome biogenesis, the DNA damage response, endoplasmic reticulum stress responses, immune responses, and tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize what is known about the UFM1 enzymatic cascade and its biological functions, and discuss its recently identified substrates. We also explore the pathological role of UFMylation in human disease and the corresponding potential therapeutic targets and strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xingzhi Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability & Disease Prevention and Carson International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen 518060, China;
| | - Zhifeng Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability & Disease Prevention and Carson International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen 518060, China;
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Wang L, Li G, Zhou Z, Ge C, Chen Q, Liu Y, Zhang N, Zhang K, Niu M, Li W, Zhong X, Wu S, Zhang J, Liu Y. Chromatin-associated OGT promotes the malignant progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by activating ZNF263. Oncogene 2023:10.1038/s41388-023-02751-1. [PMID: 37353617 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02751-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Reversible and dynamic O-GlcNAcylation regulates vast networks of highly coordinated cellular and nuclear processes. Although dysregulation of the sole enzyme O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) was shown to be associated with the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the mechanisms by which OGT controls the cis-regulatory elements in the genome and performs transcriptional functions remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that elevated OGT levels enhance HCC proliferation and metastasis, in vitro and in vivo, by orchestrating the transcription of numerous regulators of malignancy. Diverse transcriptional regulators are recruited by OGT in HCC cells undergoing malignant progression, which shapes genome-wide OGT chromatin cis-element occupation. Furthermore, an unrecognized cooperation between ZNF263 and OGT is crucial for activating downstream transcription in HCC cells. We reveal that O-GlcNAcylation of Ser662 is responsible for the chromatin association of ZNF263 at candidate gene promoters and the OGT-facilitated HCC malignant phenotypes. Our data establish the importance of aberrant OGT activity and ZNF263 O-GlcNAcylation in the malignant progression of HCC and support the investigation of OGT as a therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyan Wang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Guofang Li
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Ziyu Zhou
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Chang Ge
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Qiushi Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yajie Liu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Nana Zhang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Keren Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mingshan Niu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenli Li
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Xiaomin Zhong
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Sijin Wu
- Shenzhen Jingtai Technology Co., Ltd. (XtalPi), Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jianing Zhang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China.
| | - Yubo Liu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China.
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Zhou J, Ma X, He X, Chen B, Yuan J, Jin Z, Li L, Wang Z, Xiao Q, Cai Y, Zou Y. Dysregulation of PD-L1 by UFMylation imparts tumor immune evasion and identified as a potential therapeutic target. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215732120. [PMID: 36893266 PMCID: PMC10089188 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215732120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy of PD-L1/PD-1 blockage elicited impressive clinical benefits for cancer treatment. However, the relative low response and therapy resistance highlight the need to better understand the molecular regulation of PD-L1 in tumors. Here, we report that PD-L1 is a target of UFMylation. UFMylation of PD-L1 destabilizes PD-L1 by synergizing its ubiquitination. Inhibition of PD-L1 UFMylation via silencing of UFL1 or Ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1), or the defective UFMylation of PD-L1, stabilizes the PD-L1 in multiple human and murine cancer cells, and undermines antitumor immunity in vitro and mice, respectively. Clinically, UFL1 expression was decreased in multiple cancers and lower expression of UFL1 negatively correlated with the response of anti-PD1 therapy in melanoma patients. Moreover, we identified a covalent inhibitor of UFSP2 that promoted the UFMylation activity and contributed to the combination therapy with PD-1 blockade. Our findings identified a previously unrecognized regulator of PD-L1 and highlighted UFMylation as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzhi Zhou
- School of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Xiaohe Ma
- School of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Xingrui He
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Beiying Chen
- School of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Jiao Yuan
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou510005, China
| | - Zhemin Jin
- Yongkang Maternity and Child Care hospital, Yongkang321300, China
| | - Lijing Li
- Yongkang Maternity and Child Care hospital, Yongkang321300, China
| | - Zhiguo Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Qian Xiao
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Jersey, NJ08901
| | - Yafei Cai
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing210095, China
| | - Yongkang Zou
- Institute of Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen518107, China
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Wang K, Xu HN, Wang YW, Mao J, Liu D, Zhu XJ, Cong YS, Wang M. Ufl1 deficiency causes skin pigmentation by up-regulation of Endothelin-1. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:961675. [PMID: 36120581 PMCID: PMC9478483 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.961675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ufmylation (UFM1 modification) is a newly identified ubiquitin-like modification system involved in numerous cellular processes. However, the regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of this modification remain mostly unknown. We have recently reported that Ufmylation family genes have frequent somatic copy number alterations in human cancer including melanoma, suggesting involvement of Ufmylation in skin function and disease. UFL1 is the only known Ufmylation E3-like ligase. In this study, we generated the skin-specific Ufl1 knockout mice and show that ablation of Ufl1 caused epidermal thickening, pigmentation and shortened life span. RNA-Seq analysis indicated that Ufl1 deletion resulted in upregulation of the genes involved in melanin biosynthesis. Mechanistically, we found that Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a novel substrate of Ufmylation and this modification regulates ET-1 stability, and thereby deletion of Ufl1 upregulates the expression and secretion of ET-1, which in turn results in up-regulation of genes in melanin biosynthesis and skin pigmentation. Our findings establish the role of Ufl1 in skin pigmentation through Ufmylation modification of ET-1 and provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention of skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hu-Ning Xu
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Wen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Mao
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Da Liu
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Sheng Cong
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- *Correspondence: Yu-Sheng Cong, ; Miao Wang,
| | - Miao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yu-Sheng Cong, ; Miao Wang,
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UFMylation System: An Emerging Player in Tumorigenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143501. [PMID: 35884562 PMCID: PMC9323365 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1) is a newly identified post-translational modification protein that has been implicated in multiple cellular processes and diseases. Noticeably, an aberrant UFM1 modification system has been closely related to various types of tumorigeneses, implying that the restoration of UFMylation homeostasis may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy. In this review, we summarize the structure, process and biological functions of the UFM1 modification system. In particular, we discuss the relationship between the UFMylation system and tumorigenesis, illustrating the underlying mechanisms and future perspectives. This article aims to improve our understanding of UFM1 modification, as well as provide some new strategies for cancer treatment. Abstract Ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1), a newly identified ubiquitin-like molecule (UBLs), is evolutionarily expressed in multiple species except yeast. Similarly to ubiquitin, UFM1 is covalently attached to its substrates through a well-orchestrated three-step enzymatic reaction involving E1, the UFM1-activating enzyme (ubiquitin-like modifier-activating enzyme 5, UBA5); E2, the UFM1-conjugating enzyme 1 (UFC1); and E3, the UFM1-specific ligase 1 (UFL1). To date, numerous studies have shown that UFM1 modification is implicated in various cellular processes, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, DNA damage response and erythroid development. An abnormal UFM1 cascade is closely related to a variety of diseases, especially tumors. Herein, we summarize the process and functions of UFM1 modification, illustrating the relationship and mechanisms between aberrant UFMylation and diversified tumors, aiming to provide novel diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for cancer treatments.
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