skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Structural insights into a HECT-type E3 ligase AREL1 and its ubiquitination activities in vitro

Journal Article · · Journal of Biological Chemistry

The HECT E3 ligase family comprises three subfamilies: NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (NEDD4), HECT and RLD domain–containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (HERC), and "other.” Most previous studies have focused on the NEDD4 subfamily. Apoptosis-resistant E3 ligase 1 (AREL1) belongs to “other” subfamily HECT that inhibits apoptosis by ubiquitinating and degrading proapoptotic proteins. In this paper, we report the crystal structure of the extended HECT domain of AREL1 (amino acids (aa) 436–823) at 2.4 Å resolution and its ubiquitination of the proapoptotic protein second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC). We found that the extended HECT domain adopts an inverted, T-shaped, bilobed conformation and harbors an additional loop (aa 567–573) absent in all other HECT members. We also show that the N-terminal extended region (aa 436–482) preceding the HECT domain is indispensable for its stability and activity and that without this region, the HECT domain becomes inactive. AREL1 ubiquitinated SMAC, primarily on Lys62 and Lys191. We solved the crystal structure of the tetrameric form of SMAC to 2.8 Å resolution, revealing the Lys62 and Lys191 locations. The AREL1 HECT domain assembled Lys33-, Lys48-, and Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains. Moreover, E701A substitution in the AREL1 HECT domain substantially increased its autopolyubiquitination and SMAC ubiquitination activity, whereas deletion of the last three amino acids at the C terminus completely abrogated AREL1 autoubiquitination and reduced SMAC biquitination. Finally, an AREL1-specific ubiquitin variant inhibited SMAC ubiquitination in vitro. Our findings may assist in the development of AREL1 inhibitors that block its anti-apoptotic activity in cancer.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); National Institutes of Health (NIH); Ministry of Education, Singapore; USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
P41 GM103403; S10 RR029205; AC02-06CH11357; R-154-000-B03-112 (MoE Tier 2); R154-000-A72-114 (AcRF Tier 1)
OSTI ID:
1591895
Journal Information:
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 294, Issue 52; ISSN 0021-9258
Publisher:
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 9 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (55)

Mechanisms Underlying Ubiquitination journal June 2001
Autoubiquitination of the 26S Proteasome on Rpn13 Regulates Breakdown of Ubiquitin Conjugates journal April 2014
Structure of a ubiquitin-loaded HECT ligase reveals the molecular basis for catalytic priming journal May 2013
ProteoPlex: stability optimization of macromolecular complexes by sparse-matrix screening of chemical space journal August 2015
Structure of the HECT:ubiquitin complex and its role in ubiquitin chain elongation journal March 2011
Dali server update journal April 2016
Identification of a Novel Anti-apoptotic E3 Ubiquitin Ligase That Ubiquitinates Antagonists of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins SMAC, HtrA2, and ARTS journal March 2013
The Ubiquitin Code in the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System and Autophagy journal November 2017
Parkin Mediates Apparent E2-Independent Monoubiquitination In Vitro and Contains an Intrinsic Activity That Catalyzes Polyubiquitination journal May 2011
BALBES : a molecular-replacement pipeline journal December 2007
Regulating the human HECT E3 ligases journal June 2018
Insights into Ubiquitin Transfer Cascades from a Structure of a UbcH5B∼Ubiquitin-HECTNEDD4L Complex journal December 2009
Structure of an E6AP-UbcH7 Complex: Insights into Ubiquitination by the E2-E3 Enzyme Cascade journal November 1999
E3 ubiquitin ligases in cancer and implications for therapies journal October 2017
Structure of Parkin Reveals Mechanisms for Ubiquitin Ligase Activation journal May 2013
Structural and biochemical basis of apoptotic activation by Smac/DIABLO journal August 2000
Ubiquitin in inflammation: the right linkage makes all the difference journal April 2014
Polyubiquitination by HECT E3s and the Determinants of Chain Type Specificity journal April 2009
PROCHECK: a program to check the stereochemical quality of protein structures journal April 1993
Targeting IAP proteins for therapeutic intervention in cancer journal February 2012
Structural basis for a novel intrapeptidyl H-bond and reverse binding of c-Cbl-TKB domain substrates journal February 2008
IAP antagonists: promising candidates for cancer therapy journal March 2010
Optimization of protein samples for NMR using thermal shift assays text January 2016
System-Wide Modulation of HECT E3 Ligases with Selective Ubiquitin Variant Probes journal April 2016
Dimeric Switch of Hakai-truncated Monomers during Substrate Recognition: INSIGHTS FROM SOLUTION STUDIES AND NMR STRUCTURE journal July 2014
Rad6-Rad18 Mediates a Eukaryotic SOS Response by Ubiquitinating the 9-1-1 Checkpoint Clamp journal May 2008
Ubiquitination, intracellular trafficking, and degradation of connexins journal August 2012
Inference of Macromolecular Assemblies from Crystalline State journal September 2007
Loss of the E3 ubiquitin ligase HACE1 results in enhanced Rac1 signaling contributing to breast cancer progression journal February 2015
The Activator of Apoptosis Smac-DIABLO Acts as a Tetramer in Solution journal February 2015
Atypical ubiquitylation — the unexplored world of polyubiquitin beyond Lys48 and Lys63 linkages journal July 2012
Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins and apoptosis journal April 2008
Structure of a novel phosphotyrosine-binding domain in Hakai that targets E-cadherin: Structure of a novel phosphotyrosine-binding domain in Hakai journal January 2012
Structural basis for the indispensable role of a unique zinc finger motif in LNX2 ubiquitination journal October 2015
Conformational Flexibility Underlies Ubiquitin Ligation Mediated by the WWP1 HECT Domain E3 Ligase journal January 2003
HECT E3s and human disease journal January 2007
Structure of LNX1:Ubc13 ~ Ubiquitin Complex Reveals the Role of Additional Motifs for the E3 Ligase Activity of LNX1 journal April 2018
The E3 ligase HOIP specifies linear ubiquitin chain assembly through its RING-IBR-RING domain and the unique LDD extension: HOIP RBR-LDD module specifies linear ubiquitin chains journal August 2012
Functional Characterization of a WWP1/Tiul1 Tumor-derived Mutant Reveals a Paradigm of Its Constitutive Activation in Human Cancer journal July 2015
Cavin1 intrinsically disordered domains are essential for fuzzy electrostatic interactions and caveola formation journal February 2021
The -4 Phenylalanine Is Required for Substrate Ubiquitination Catalyzed by HECT Ubiquitin Ligases journal February 2004
Functional and Structural Characterization of Bub3·BubR1 Interactions Required for Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Signaling in Human Cells journal March 2016
PHENIX: a comprehensive Python-based system for macromolecular structure solution journal January 2010
Spindle assembly checkpoint gene BUB1B is essential in breast cancer cell survival journal October 2020
Optimization of protein samples for NMR using thermal shift assays journal March 2016
NMRPipe: A multidimensional spectral processing system based on UNIX pipes journal November 1995
Procedure for reductive methylation of protein to improve crystallizability journal July 2007
Assembly and structure of Lys33-linked polyubiquitin reveals distinct conformations journal April 2015
Structure of the HECT domain of human WWP2 journal September 2015
FATS is an E2-independent ubiquitin ligase that stabilizes p53 and promotes its activation in response to DNA damage journal November 2013
Assembly and Specific Recognition of K29- and K33-Linked Polyubiquitin journal April 2015
IAP Antagonists Induce Autoubiquitination of c-IAPs, NF-κB Activation, and TNFα-Dependent Apoptosis journal November 2007
Multi-functionality of a tryptophan residue conserved in substrate-binding groove of GH19 chitinases journal January 2021
[20] Processing of X-ray diffraction data collected in oscillation mode book January 1997
PHENIX: a comprehensive Python-based system for macromolecular structure solution. text January 2010