Leithe Edward, Rivedal Edgar
Department of Cancer Prevention, Institute for Cancer Research, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Medical Center, 0310, Oslo, Norway.
J Membr Biol. 2007 Jun;217(1-3):43-51. doi: 10.1007/s00232-007-9050-z. Epub 2007 Jul 28.
Gap junctions are plasma membrane domains containing arrays of channels that exchange ions and small molecules between neighboring cells. Gap junctional intercellular communication enables cells to directly cooperate both electrically and metabolically. Several lines of evidence indicate that gap junctions are important in regulating cell growth and differentiation and for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Gap junction channels consist of a family of transmembrane proteins called connexins. Gap junctions are dynamic structures, and connexins have a high turnover rate in most tissues. Connexin43 (Cx43), the best-studied connexin isoform, has a half-life of 1.5-5 h; and its degradation involves both the lysosomal and proteasomal systems. Increasing evidence suggests that ubiquitin is important in the regulation of Cx43 endocytosis. Ubiquitination of Cx43 is thought to occur at the plasma membrane and has been shown to be regulated by protein kinase C and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Cx43 binds to the E3 ubiquitin ligase Nedd4, in a process modulated by Cx43 phosphorylation. The interaction between Nedd4 and Cx43 is mediated by the WW domains of Nedd4 and involves a proline-rich sequence conforming to a PY (XPPXY) consensus motif in the C terminus of Cx43. In addition to the PY motif, an overlapping tyrosine-based sorting signal conforming to the consensus of an YXXphi motif is involved in Cx43 endocytosis, indicating that endocytosis of gap junctions involves both ubiquitin-dependent and -independent pathways. Here, we discuss current knowledge on the ubiquitination of connexins.
间隙连接是质膜结构域,包含在相邻细胞之间交换离子和小分子的通道阵列。间隙连接介导的细胞间通讯使细胞能够在电和代谢方面直接协作。多项证据表明,间隙连接在调节细胞生长和分化以及维持组织内稳态方面发挥着重要作用。间隙连接通道由一类称为连接蛋白的跨膜蛋白组成。间隙连接是动态结构,连接蛋白在大多数组织中具有较高的周转率。连接蛋白43(Cx43)是研究最深入的连接蛋白亚型,半衰期为1.5 - 5小时;其降解涉及溶酶体和蛋白酶体系统。越来越多的证据表明,泛素在Cx43内吞作用的调节中起重要作用。Cx43的泛素化被认为发生在质膜上,并且已被证明受蛋白激酶C和丝裂原活化蛋白激酶途径调节。Cx43在由Cx43磷酸化调节的过程中与E3泛素连接酶Nedd4结合。Nedd4与Cx43之间的相互作用由Nedd4的WW结构域介导,并且涉及Cx43 C末端中符合PY(XPPXY)共有基序的富含脯氨酸的序列。除了PY基序外,符合YXXphi基序共识的重叠酪氨酸基分选信号也参与Cx43的内吞作用,这表明间隙连接的内吞作用涉及泛素依赖性和非依赖性途径。在这里,我们讨论关于连接蛋白泛素化的当前知识。