Cullin3 (Cul3)-based ubiquitin E3 ligase complexes catalyze the transfer of ubiquitin from an E2 enzyme to target substrate proteins. In these assemblies, the C-terminal region of Cul3 binds Rbx1/E2-ubiquitin, while the N-terminal region interacts with various BTB (bric-à-brac, tramtrack, broad complex) domain proteins that serve as substrate adaptors. Previous crystal structures of the homodimeric BTB proteins KLHL3, KLHL11 and SPOP in complex with the N-terminal domain of Cul3 revealed the features required for Cul3 recognition in these proteins. A second class of BTB-domain-containing proteins, the KCTD proteins, is also Cul3 substrate adaptors, but these do not share many of the previously identified determinants for Cul3 binding. We report the pentameric crystal structures of the KCTD1 and KCTD9 BTB domains and identify plasticity in the KCTD1 rings. We find that the KCTD proteins 5, 6, 9 and 17 bind to Cul3 with high affinity, while the KCTD proteins 1 and 16 do not have detectable binding. Finally, we confirm the 5:5 assembly of KCTD9/Cul3 complexes by cryo-electron microscopy and provide a molecular rationale for BTB-mediated Cul3 binding specificity in the KCTD family.

This review focuses on one of the 16 proteins composing the V-ATPase complex responsible for resorbing bone: the a3 subunit. The rationale for focusing on this biomolecule is that mutations in this one protein account for over 50% of osteopetrosis cases, highlighting its critical role in bone physiology. Despite its essential role in bone remodeling and its involvement in bone diseases, little is known about the way in which this subunit is targeted and regulated within osteoclasts. To this end, this review is broadened to include the three other mammalian paralogues (a1, a2 and a4) and the two yeast orthologs (Vph1p and Stv1p). By examining the literature on all of the paralogues/orthologs of the V-ATPase a subunit, we hope to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms and future research directions specific to a3. This review starts with an overview on bone, highlighting the role of V-ATPases in osteoclastic bone resorption. We then cover V-ATPases in other location/functions, highlighting the roles which the four mammalian a subunit paralogues might play in differential targeting and/or regulation. We review the ways in which the energy of ATP hydrolysis is converted into proton translocation, and go in depth into the diverse role of the a subunit, not only in proton translocation but also in lipid binding, cell signaling and human diseases. Finally, the therapeutic implication of targeting a3 specifically for bone diseases and cancer is discussed, with concluding remarks on future directions.

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are multi-subunit ATP-dependent proton pumps necessary for cellular functions, including pH regulation and membrane fusion. The evidence suggests that the V-ATPase a-subunit’s interaction with the membrane signaling lipid phosphatidylinositol (PIPs) regulates the recruitment of V-ATPase complexes to specific membranes. We generated a homology model of the N-terminal domain of the human a4 isoform (a4NT) using Phyre2.0 and propose a lipid binding domain within the distal lobe of the a4NT. We identified a basic motif, K234IKK237, critical for interaction with phosphoinositides (PIP), and found similar basic residue motifs in all four mammalian and both yeast a-isoforms. We tested PIP binding of wildtype and mutant a4NT in vitro. In protein lipid overlay assays, the double mutation K234A/K237A and the autosomal recessive distal renal tubular-causing mutation K237del reduced both PIP binding and association with liposomes enriched with PI(4,5)P2, a PIP enriched within plasma membranes. Circular dichroism spectra of the mutant protein were comparable to wildtype, indicating that mutations affected lipid binding, not protein structure. When expressed in HEK293, wildtype a4NT localized to the plasma membrane in fluorescence microscopy and co-purified with the microsomal membrane fraction in cellular fractionation experiments. a4NT mutants showed reduced membrane association and decreased plasma membrane localization. Depletion of PI(4,5)P2 by ionomycin caused reduced membrane association of the WT a4NT protein. Our data suggest that information contained within the soluble a4NT is sufficient for membrane association and that PI(4,5)P2 binding capacity is involved in a4 V-ATPase plasma membrane retention.