Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C1399258 (Heller)
 893 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Previous studies have indicated that at least part of the selection of proteins for degradation takes place at a binding site on ubiquitin-protein ligase, to which the protein substrate is bound prior to ligation to ubiquitin. It was also shown that proteins with free NH2-terminal alpha-NH2 groups bind better to this site than proteins with blocked NH2 termini (Hershko, A., Heller, H., Eytan, E., and Reiss, Y. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 11992-11999). In the present study, we used simple derivatives of amino acids, such as methyl esters, hydroxamates, or dipeptides, to examine the question of whether the protein binding site of the ligase is able to distinguish between different NH2-terminal residues of proteins. Based on specific patterns of inhibition of the binding to ligase by these derivatives, three types of protein substrates could be distinguished. Type I substrates are proteins that have a basic NH2-terminal residue (such as ribonuclease and lysozyme); these are specifically inhibited by derivatives of the 3 basic amino acids (His, Arg, and Lys) with respect to degradation, ligation to ubiquitin, and binding to ligase. Type II substrates (such as beta-lactoglobulin or pepsinogen, that have a Leu residue at the NH2 terminus) are not affected by the above compounds, but are specifically inhibited by derivatives of bulky hydrophobic amino acids (Leu, Trp, Phe, and Tyr). In these cases, the amino acid derivatives apparently act as specific inhibitors of the binding of the NH2-terminal residue of proteins, as indicated by the following observations: (a) derivatives in which the alpha-NH2 group is blocked were inactive and (b) in dipeptides, the inhibitory amino acid residue had to be at the NH2-terminal position. An additional class (Type III) of substrates comprises proteins that have neither basic nor bulky hydrophobic NH2-terminal amino acid residues; the binding of these proteins is not inhibited by homologous amino acid derivatives that have NH2-terminal residues similar to that of the protein. It is concluded that Type I and Type II proteins bind to distinct and separate subsites of the ligase, specific for basic or bulky hydrophobic NH2-terminal residues, respectively. On the other hand, Type III proteins apparently predominantly interact with the ligase at regions of the protein molecule other than the NH2-terminal residue.
 ...
PMID:Specificity of binding of NH2-terminal residue of proteins to ubiquitin-protein ligase. Use of amino acid derivatives to characterize specific binding sites. 334 27

By affinity chromatography of a crude reticulocyte extract on ubiquitin-Sepharose, three enzymes required for the conjugation of ubiquitin with proteins have been isolated. One is the ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), which is covalently linked to the affinity column in the presence of ATP and can be specifically eluted with AMP and pyrophosphate (Ciechanover, A., Elias, S., Heller, H., and Hershko, A. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 2537-2542). A second enzyme, designated E2, is bound to the ubiquitin column when E1 and ATP are present, and is eluted with a thiol compound at high concentration. The third enzyme, designated E3, is adsorbed to the affinity column by noncovalent interactions and can be eluted with high salt or increased pH. The presence of all three enzymes is absolutely required for the conjugation of 125I-ubiquitin with proteins. All three affinity-purified enzymes are also required for the breakdown of 125I-albumin to acid-soluble material in the presence of ubiquitin, ATP, and the unadsorbed fraction of the affinity column. The following observations indicate that the function of E2 is the transfer of activated ubiquitin to the site of conjugation in the form of an E2-ubiquitin thiol ester intermediate. (a) E2 is rapidly inactivated by iodoacetamide, but can be protected against inactivation by a prior incubation with E1, ATP, and ubiquitin. This suggests an E1-mediated transfer of activated ubiquitin to an iodoacetamide-sensitive thiol site of E2. (b) The requirements for the binding of E2 to the ubiquitin column and the mode of its elution, cited above, are consistent with the notion that a covalent linkage is formed between E2 and Sepharose-bound ubiquitin. (c) Upon the incubation of 125I-ubiquitin with E1 and ATP, followed by the addition of purified E2, activated ubiquitin is transferred from E1 to several low molecular weight forms of E2, as analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The linkage of ubiquitin to all these forms has the characteristics of a thiol ester bond. In a further incubation with E3 and a protein substrate for conjugation, activated ubiquitin was transferred from the different forms of E2-ubiquitin to stable ubiquitin-protein conjugates. Thus, E3 is involved in the last step of the ligase system.
 ...
PMID:Components of ubiquitin-protein ligase system. Resolution, affinity purification, and role in protein breakdown. 630 78