Targeting of protein ubiquitination by BTB-Cullin 3-Roc1 ubiquitin ligases

Nat Cell Biol. 2003 Nov;5(11):1001-7. doi: 10.1038/ncb1056. Epub 2003 Oct 5.

Abstract

The concentrations and functions of many cellular proteins are regulated by the ubiquitin pathway. Cullin family proteins bind with the RING-finger protein Roc1 to recruit the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) to the ubiquitin ligase complex (E3). Cul1 and Cul7, but not other cullins, bind to an adaptor protein, Skp1. Cul1 associates with one of many F-box proteins through Skp1 to assemble various SCF-Roc1 E3 ligases that each selectively ubiquitinate one or more specific substrates. Here, we show that Cul3, but not other cullins, binds directly to multiple BTB domains through a conserved amino-terminal domain. In vitro, Cul3 promoted ubiquitination of Caenorhabditis elegans MEI-1, a katanin-like protein whose degradation requires the function of both Cul3 and BTB protein MEL-26. We suggest that in vivo there exists a potentially large number of BCR3 (BTB-Cul3-Roc1) E3 ubiquitin ligases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Ubiquitin
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases