Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.25.1 (proteasome)
 28,817 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The rapid turnover of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT), a key enzyme in the regulation of polyamine levels, was found to be mediated via ubiquitination and the proteasomal system. SSAT degradation was blocked by the binding of polyamines or of the polyamine analog, N1,N12-bis(ethyl)spermine (BE-3-4-3), to the protein, providing a mechanism for the increase of SSAT activity in response to these agents. Site-directed mutagenesis indicated that a number of residues including arginine 19, cysteine 122, histidine 126, glutamic acid 152, arginine 155, and methionine 167 were needed for protection of SSAT by BE-3-4-3. These residues have previously been shown to reduce the affinity for the binding of polyamines to the SSAT protein, and these results indicate that the change in protein configuration brought about by this binding renders the protein resistant to proteasomal degradation. Mutations to alanines of residues arginine 7, cysteine 14, and lysine 141 also prevented the protection by BE-3-4-3, and these residues may be required for the formation of the protected conformation. The rapid degradation of SSAT required the carboxyl-terminal region of the protein, and the two terminal glutamic acid residues at positions 170 and 171 were found to be of critical importance. Truncation of the protein to remove these residues or the mutation of either of these acidic residues to glutamine completely abolished the rapid degradation of SSAT. The addition of two extra lysine residues at the carboxyl terminus or the conversion of the glutamic acids at positions 170 and 171 to lysines also prevented SSAT degradation by the proteasome. These results show the key role of the acidic residues at the carboxyl terminus of the protein in reacting with the proteasome. In contrast, mutation of lysine 166 to alanine, which extends the length of the acidic region in the carboxyl-terminal fragment of SSAT, actually increased the rate of degradation of SSAT without affecting its stabilization by BE-3-4-3. The binding of BE-3-4-3 or polyamines is therefore likely to change the configuration of the SSAT protein in a way that prevents the exposure of the carboxyl-terminal region of the ubiquitinated protein to the proteasome.
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PMID:Proteasomal degradation of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase requires the carboxyl-terminal glutamic acid residues. 911 88

We have previously shown that the clinically relevant polyamine analog N1,N11-diethylnorspermine (DENSPM) causes rapid apoptosis in human melanoma SK-MEL-28 cells via a series of events that include mitochondrial release of cytochrome c and activation of the caspase cascade. Upstream to these events, DENSPM downregulates polyamine biosynthesis and potently upregulates polyamine catabolism at the level of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT). In searching for downstream effectors that either contribute to or abrogate the apoptotic response, we observed that DENSPM treatment of SK-MEL-28 cells for 30 h led to cytosolic release of Smac/Diablo, a mitochondrial protein known to bind and inhibit the function of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). Subsequently, we found that DENSPM markedly lowered survivin and ML-IAP protein (but not XIAP) levels by 18 h via an apparently Smac/Diablo-independent pathway. Proteasome inhibitors fully prevented survivin and ML-IAP protein loss as well as apoptosis, suggesting that the proteasome-mediated degradation of survivin and ML-IAP is causally linked to the cellular outcome. We also observed that structural analogs of DENSPM which differentially induced SSAT and apoptosis lowered survivin and ML-IAP levels in a manner that correlated with enzyme activity. The linkage between IAPs and SSAT was more directly established by the finding that selective prevention of SSAT induction by small interfering RNA prevented survivin and ML-IAP loss as well as apoptosis during DENSPM treatment. Among the melanoma cell lines (SK-MEL-28, MALME-3M, A375 and LOX), survivin degradation correlated temporally with the onset of DENSPM induced apoptosis or growth inhibition. By contrast, ML-IAP degradation occurred only during rapid apoptosis seen in SK-MEL-28 cells. These data suggest a sequence of events whereby DENSPM induction of SSAT leads to loss of IAP proteins and a more fulminate apoptotic response. The findings implicate survivin and ML-IAP as important determinants of polyamine analog drug action in melanoma cells.
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PMID:Loss of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins as a determinant of polyamine analog-induced apoptosis in human melanoma cells. 1290 79

The polyamines are essential for a variety of functions in the mammalian cell. Although their specific effects have not been fully elucidated, it is clear that the cellular polyamines have to be kept within certain levels for normal cell function. Polyamine homoeostasis in mammalian cells is achieved by a complex network of regulatory mechanisms affecting synthesis and degradation, as well as membrane transport of polyamines. The two key enzymes in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway, ODC (ornithine decarboxylase) and AdoMetDC (S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase), are strongly regulated by feedback mechanisms at several levels, including transcriptional, translational and post-translational. Some of these mechanisms have been shown to be truly unique and include upstream reading frames and ribosomal frameshifting, as well as ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation. SSAT (spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase), which is a crucial enzyme for degradation and efflux of polyamines, is also highly regulated by polyamines. A cellular excess of polyamines rapidly induces SSAT, resulting in increased degradation/efflux of the polyamines. The polyamines appear to induce both transcription and translation of the SSAT mRNA. However, the major part of the polyamine-induced increase in SSAT is caused by a marked stabilization of the enzyme against degradation by the 26S proteasome. In addition, active transport of extracellular polyamines into the cell contributes to cellular polyamine homoeostasis. Depletion of cellular polyamines rapidly induces an increased uptake of exogenous polyamines, whereas an excess of polyamines down-regulates the polyamine transporter(s). However, the protein(s) involved in polyamine transport and the exact mechanisms by which the polyamines regulate the transporter(s) are not yet known.
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PMID:Polyamine homoeostasis. 2009 67