scholarly journals Intramembrane protease RHBDL4 interacts with erlin complex to target unstable soluble proteins for degradation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Kühnle ◽  
Josephine Bock ◽  
Julia D. Knopf ◽  
Nina Landscheidt ◽  
Jin-Gu Lee ◽  
...  

AbstractProtein degradation is fundamentally important to ensure cell homeostasis. In the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway targets incorrectly folded and unassembled proteins into the cytoplasm for turnover by the proteasome. In contrast, lysosomal degradation serves as failsafe mechanism for removal of proteins that resist ERAD by forming aggregates. In previous work, we showed that the ER-resident rhomboid protease RHBDL4, together with p97, mediates membrane protein degradation. However, whether RHBDL4 acts in concert with additional ERAD components is unclear and its full substrate spectrum remains to be defined. Here, we show that besides membrane proteins, RHBDL4 cleaves aggregation-prone, luminal ERAD substrates including a soluble version of the major histocompatibility complex heavy chain (MHC202). RHBDL4’s interaction with erlin ERAD substrate receptors and reciprocal interaction of MHC202 with erlins suggest that RHBDL4 defines a substrate clipping mechanism that rescues aggregation-prone peptides in the ER lumen from terminal aggregation.AbbreviationsER, endoplasmic reticulum; ERAD, ER-associated degradation; MHC, major histocompatibility complex; TM, transmembrane; UPR, unfolded protein response.

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 2768-2779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boaz Tirosh ◽  
Neal N. Iwakoshi ◽  
Brendan N. Lilley ◽  
Ann-Hwee Lee ◽  
Laurie H. Glimcher ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein US11 diverts class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) heavy chains (HC) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytosol, where HC are subjected to proteasome-mediated degradation. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts that are deficient for X-box binding protein 1 (XBP-1), a key transcription factor in the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, we show that degradation of endogenous mouse HC is impaired. Moreover, the rate of US11-mediated degradation of ectopically expressed HLA-A2 is reduced when XBP-1 is absent. In the human astrocytoma cell line U373, turning on expression of US11, but not US2, is sufficient to induce a UPR, as manifested by upregulation of the ER chaperone Bip and by splicing of XBP-1 mRNA. In the presence of dominant-negative versions of XBP-1 and activating transcription factor 6, the kinetics of class I MHC HC degradation were delayed when expression of US11 was turned on. The magnitude of these effects, while reproducible, was modest. Conversely, in cells that stably express high levels of US11, the degradation of HC is not affected by the presence of the dominant negative effectors of the UPR. An infection of human foreskin fibroblasts with human cytomegalovirus induced XBP-1 splicing in a manner that coincides with US11 expression. We conclude that the contribution of the UPR is more pronounced on HC degradation shortly after induction of US11 expression and that US11 is sufficient to induce such a response.


2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 1122-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Oresic ◽  
Domenico Tortorella

Inhibition of cell-surface expression of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV, a β-herpesvirus) promotes escape from recognition by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. The HCMV US2 and US11 gene products induce class I downregulation during the early phase of HCMV infection by facilitating the degradation of class I heavy chains. The HCMV proteins promote the transport of the class I heavy chains across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane into the cytosol by a process referred to as ‘dislocation’, which is then followed by proteasome degradation. This process has striking similarities to the degradation of misfolded ER proteins mediated by ER quality control. Even though the major steps of the dislocation reaction have been characterized, the cellular proteins, specifically the ER chaperones involved in targeting class I for dislocation, have not been fully delineated. To elucidate the chaperones involved in HCMV-mediated class I dislocation, we utilized a chimeric class I heavy chain with an affinity tag at its carboxy terminus. Interestingly, US2 but not US11 continued to target the class I chimera for destruction, suggesting a structural limitation for US11-mediated degradation. Association studies in US2 cells and in cells that express a US2 mutant, US2–186HA, revealed that class I specifically interacts with calnexin, BiP and calreticulin. These findings demonstrate that US2-mediated class I destruction utilizes specific chaperones to facilitate class I dislocation. The data suggest a more general model in which the chaperones that mediate protein folding may also function during ER quality control to eliminate aberrant ER proteins.


mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Weiyong Liu ◽  
Dan Hu ◽  
Rui Su ◽  
Man Ji ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The proteasome is a major protein degradation machinery with essential and diverse biological functions. Upon induction by cytokines, proteasome subunits β1, β2, and β5 are replaced by β1i/LMP2, β2i/MECL-1, and β5i/LMP7, resulting in the formation of an immunoproteasome (iProteasome). iProteasome-degraded products are loaded onto the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), regulating immune responses and inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the causal agent of AIDS. HIV-1-specific CTLs represent a critical immune mechanism limiting viral replication. HIV-1 negative regulatory factor (Nef) counteracts host immunity, particularly the response involving MHC-I/CTL. This study identifies a distinct mechanism by which Nef facilitates immune evasion via suppressing the function of iProteasome and MHC-I. Nef interacts with LMP7 on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), downregulating the incorporation of LMP7 into iProteasome and thereby attenuating its formation. Moreover, Nef represses the iProteasome function of protein degradation, MHC-I trafficking, and antigen presentation. IMPORTANCE The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is essential for the degradation of damaged proteins, which takes place in the proteasome. Upon activation by cytokines, the catalytic subunits of the proteasome are replaced by distinct isoforms resulting in the formation of an immunoproteasome (iProteasome). iProteasome generates peptides used by major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) for antigen presentation and is essential for immune responses. HIV-1 is the causative agent of AIDS, and HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) provide immune responses limiting viral replication. This study identifies a distinct mechanism by which HIV-1 promotes immune evasion. The viral protein negative regulatory factor (Nef) interacts with a component of iProteasome, LMP7, attenuating iProteasome formation and protein degradation function, and thus repressing the MHC-I antigen presentation activity of MHC-I. Therefore, HIV-1 targets LMP7 to inhibit iProteasome activation, and LMP7 may be used as the target for the development of anti-HIV-1/AIDS therapy.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 4099-4108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Wang ◽  
Rose Connors ◽  
Michael R. Harris ◽  
Ted H. Hansen ◽  
Lonnie Lybarger

ABSTRACT Recent studies suggest that certain viral proteins co-opt endoplasmic reticulum (ER) degradation pathways to prevent the surface display of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules to the immune system. A novel example of such a molecule is the mK3 protein of gammaherpesvirus 68. mK3 belongs to an extensive family of structurally similar viral and cellular proteins that function as ubiquitin ligases using a conserved RING-CH domain. In the specific case of mK3, it selectively targets the rapid degradation of nascent class I heavy chains in the ER while they are associated with the class I peptide-loading complex (PLC). We present here evidence that the PLC imposes a relative proximity and/or orientation on the RING-CH domain of mK3 that is required for it to specifically target class I molecules for degradation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that full assembly of class I molecules with peptide is not a prerequisite for mK3-mediated degradation. Surprisingly, although the cytosolic tail of class I is required for rapid mK3-mediated degradation, we observed that a class I mutant lacking lysine residues in its cytosolic tail was ubiquitinated and degraded in the presence of mK3 in a manner indistinguishable from wild-type class I molecules. These findings are consistent with a “partial dislocation” model for turnover of ER proteins and define some common features of ER degradation pathways initiated by structurally distinct herpesvirus proteins.


1994 ◽  
Vol 180 (1) ◽  
pp. 407-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Rajagopalan ◽  
M B Brenner

The assembly of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules involves the association of heavy (H) chain with beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) and peptide. Unassembled class I H chains do not exit the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and this is exemplified by the beta 2m-deficient human melanoma FO-1 where free class I H chains are unable to complete assembly. In pulse chase experiments involving FO-1 cells, unassembled free class I H chains were shown to be stably associated with calnexin (IP90/p88), a 90-kD integral membrane molecular chaperone of the ER. To establish a role for calnexin in mediating this retention, we transfected FO-1 cells with a cytoplasmic tail deletion mutant of calnexin. Since the cytoplasmic tail contains the ER retention motif, these mutant calnexin molecules leave the ER and progress to the cell surface. In these stable transfectants of FO-1, free class I H chains also exited the ER and trafficked to the cell surface with calnexin, thus establishing a role for calnexin in the quality control of MHC class I assembly through mediating the ER retention of incompletely assembled class I H chains.


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