Inactivity of YGL082W in vitro due to impairment of conformational change in the catalytic center loop

Simultaneous capture of ISG15 conjugating and deconjugating enzymes using a semi-synthetic ISG15-Dha probe

ISG15 is a ubiquitin-like (Ubl) protein attached to substrate proteins by ISG15 conjugating enzymes whose dysregulation is implicated in a multitude of disease processes, but the probing of these enzymes remains to be accomplished. Here, we describe the development of a new activity-based probe ISG15-Dha (dehydroalanine) through protein semi-synthesis. In vitro cross-linking and cell lysate proteomic profiling experiments showed that this probe can sequentially capture ISG15 conjugating enzymes including E1 enzyme UBA7, E2 enzyme UBE2L6, E3 enzyme HERC5, the previously known ISG15 deconjugating enzyme (USP18), as well as some other enzymes (USP5 and USP14) which we additionally confirmed to impart deISGylation activity. Collectively, ISG15-Dha provides a new tool that can simultaneously capture ISG15 conjugating and deconjugating enzymes for biochemical or pharmacological studies.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s11426-022-1455-x and is accessible for authorized users.

Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism and ubiquitin recognition of USP34

Ubiquitination, an important posttranslational modification, participates in virtually all aspects of cellular functions and is reversed by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Ubiquitin-specific protease 34 (USP34) plays an essential role in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and osteogenesis. Despite its functional importance, how USP34 recognizes ubiquitin and catalyzes deubiquitination remains structurally uncharacterized. Here, we report the crystal structures of the USP34 catalytic domain in free state and after binding with ubiquitin. In the free state, USP34 adopts an inactive conformation, which contains a misaligned catalytic histidine in the triad. Comparison of USP34 structures before and after ubiquitin binding reveals a structural basis for ubiquitin recognition and elucidates a mechanism by which the catalytic triad is realigned. Transition from an open inactive state to a relatively closed active state is coupled to a process by which the "fingertips" of USP34 intimately grip ubiquitin, and this has not been reported before. Our structural and biochemical analyses provide important insights into the catalytic mechanism and ubiquitin recognition of USP34.

Chemical Synthesis of Activity-Based E2-Ubiquitin Probes for the Structural Analysis of E3 Ligase-Catalyzed Transthiolation

Activity-based E2 conjugating enzyme (E2)-ubiquitin (Ub) probes have recently emerged as effective tools for studying the molecular mechanism of E3 ligase (E3)-catalyzed ubiquitination. However, the preparation of existing activity-based E2-Ub probes depends on recombination technology and bioconjugation chemistry, limiting their structural diversity. Herein we describe an expedient total chemical synthesis of an E2 enzyme variant through a hydrazide-based native chemical ligation, which enabled the construction of a structurally new activity-based E2-Ub probe to covalently capture the catalytic site of Cys-dependent E3s. Chemical cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (CXMS) demonstrated the utility of this new probe in structural analysis of the intermediates formed during Nedd4 and Parkin-mediated transthiolation. This study exemplifies the utility of chemical protein synthesis for the development of protein probes for biological studies.

Development and application of ubiquitin-based chemical probes

Protein ubiquitination regulates almost every process in eukaryotic cells. The study of the many enzymes involved in the ubiquitination system and the development of ubiquitination-associated therapeutics are important areas of current research. Synthetic tools such as ubiquitin-based chemical probes have been making an increasing contribution to deciphering various biochemical components involved in ubiquitin conjugation, recruitment, signaling, and deconjugation. In the present minireview, we summarize the progress of ubiquitin-based chemical probes with an emphasis on their various structures and chemical synthesis. We discuss the utility of the ubiquitin-based chemical probes for discovering and profiling ubiquitin-dependent signaling systems, as well as the monitoring and visualization of ubiquitin-related enzymatic machinery. We also show how the probes can serve to elucidate the molecular mechanism of recognition and catalysis. Collectively, the development and application of ubiquitin-based chemical probes emphasizes the importance and utility of chemical protein synthesis in modern chemical biology.

This article reviews the design, synthesis, and application of different classes of Ub-based chemical probes.