Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, 199 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
Department of Oncology, Haian Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Haian, 226600, Jiangsu, China.
Protein J. 2020 Oct;39(5):411-421. doi: 10.1007/s10930-020-09918-9. Epub 2020 Oct 3.
Interleukin enhancer-binding factor 2 (ILF2) forms a heterodimer with interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 (ILF3) via double-stranded RNA-binding motif and zinc finger associated domain and thus regulates gene expression and cancer cell growth. However, how ILF2 is degraded in cells remains elusive. In this work, using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) quantitative proteomics, we find that ILF2 is downregulated in cells expressing cereblon (CRBN). Using affinity purification and immunoblotting analysis, we demonstrate that CRBN interacts with ILF2 and functions as a substrate receptor of the cullin-4 RING E3 ligase complex. Biochemical experiments disclose that CRBN expression reduces ILF2 protein level and this reduction is diminished when the proteasome is inhibited. Upon protein synthesis inhibition, the degradation of ILF2 is enhanced by CRBN. Moreover, CRBN promotes the ubiquitination of ILF2 and thus results in the ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. Analyses of previously identified post-translational modification sites and the crystal structure of ILF2 discover the potential ubiquitination sites on ILF2. Through mutagenesis and biochemical experiments, we further reveal that the K45R mutation completely abolishes the effect of CRBN on ILF2, suggesting that this is the key residue responsible for its ubiquitination. Taken together, we identify an E3 ligase that regulates ILF2 and uncover a molecular pathway for its degradation. This work might be helpful to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which CRBN regulates diverse cellular functions.
白细胞介素增强结合因子 2(ILF2)通过双链 RNA 结合基序和锌指相关结构域与白细胞介素增强结合因子 3(ILF3)形成异二聚体,从而调节基因表达和癌细胞生长。然而,ILF2 在细胞内是如何降解的仍然不清楚。在这项工作中,我们使用稳定同位素标记的细胞培养氨基酸(SILAC)定量蛋白质组学方法,发现表达 cereblon(CRBN)的细胞中 ILF2 下调。通过亲和纯化和免疫印迹分析,我们证明 CRBN 与 ILF2 相互作用,作为 cullin-4 RING E3 连接酶复合物的底物受体。生化实验揭示 CRBN 表达降低了 ILF2 蛋白水平,而当蛋白酶体被抑制时,这种降低作用会减弱。在蛋白质合成抑制后,CRBN 增强了 ILF2 的降解。此外,CRBN 促进了 ILF2 的泛素化,从而导致 ILF2 被泛素化介导的蛋白酶体降解。对先前鉴定的翻译后修饰位点和 ILF2 的晶体结构的分析发现了 ILF2 上的潜在泛素化位点。通过突变和生化实验,我们进一步揭示了 K45R 突变完全消除了 CRBN 对 ILF2 的影响,表明这是其泛素化的关键残基。总之,我们鉴定了一种调节 ILF2 的 E3 连接酶,并揭示了其降解的分子途径。这项工作可能有助于阐明 CRBN 调节多种细胞功能的分子机制。