The cellular levels and activities of ribosomes directly regulate gene expression during numerous physiological processes. The mechanisms that globally repress translation are incompletely understood. Here, we use electron cryomicroscopy to analyze inactive ribosomes isolated from mammalian reticulocytes, the penultimate stage of red blood cell differentiation. We identify two types of ribosomes that are translationally repressed by protein interactions. The first comprises ribosomes sequestered with elongation factor 2 (eEF2) by SERPINE mRNA binding protein 1 (SERBP1) occupying the ribosomal mRNA entrance channel. The second type are translationally repressed by a novel ribosome-binding protein, interferon-related developmental regulator 2 (IFRD2), which spans the P and E sites and inserts a C-terminal helix into the mRNA exit channel to preclude translation. IFRD2 binds ribosomes with a tRNA occupying a noncanonical binding site, the ‘Z site’, on the ribosome. These structures provide functional insights into how ribosomal interactions may suppress translation to regulate gene expression.

TheSaccharomyces cerevisiaeprotein Ddi1 and its homologs in higher eukaryotes have been proposed to serve as shuttling factors that deliver ubiquitinated substrates to the proteasome. Although Ddi1 contains both ubiquitin-interacting UBA and proteasome-interacting UBL domains, the UBL domain is atypical, as it binds ubiquitin. Furthermore, unlike other shuttling factors, Ddi1 and its homologs contain a conserved helical domain (helical domain of Ddi1, HDD) and a retroviral-like protease (RVP) domain. The RVP domain is probably responsible for cleavage of the precursor of the transcription factor Nrf1 in higher eukaryotes, which results in the up-regulation of proteasomal subunit genes. However, enzymatic activity of the RVP domain has not yet been demonstrated, and the function of Ddi1 remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Ddi1 is a ubiquitin-dependent protease, which cleaves substrate proteins only when they are tagged with long ubiquitin chains (longer than about eight ubiquitins). The RVP domain is inactive in isolation, in contrast to its retroviral counterpart. Proteolytic activity of Ddi1 requires the HDD domain and is stimulated by the UBL domain, which mediates high-affinity interaction with the polyubiquitin chain. Compromising the activity of Ddi1 in yeast cells results in the accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins. Aside from the proteasome, Ddi1 is the only known endoprotease that acts on polyubiquitinated substrates. Ddi1 and its homologs likely cleave polyubiquitinated substrates under conditions where proteasome function is compromised.

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Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an antiviral signalling protein that is broadly conserved in both innate immunity in animals and phage defence in prokaryotes1–4. Activation of STING requires its assembly into an oligomeric filament structure through binding of a cyclic dinucleotide4–13, but the molecular basis of STING filament assembly and extension remains unknown. Here we use cryogenic electron microscopy to determine the structure of the active Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR)–STING filament complex from a Sphingobacterium faecium cyclic-oligonucleotide-based antiphage signalling system (CBASS) defence operon. Bacterial TIR–STING filament formation is driven by STING interfaces that become exposed on high-affinity recognition of the cognate cyclic dinucleotide signal c-di-GMP. Repeating dimeric STING units stack laterally head-to-head through surface interfaces, which are also essential for human STING tetramer formation and downstream immune signalling in mammals5. The active bacterial TIR–STING structure reveals further cross-filament contacts that brace the assembly and coordinate packing of the associated TIR NADase effector domains at the base of the filament to drive NAD+ hydrolysis. STING interface and cross-filament contacts are essential for cell growth arrest in vivo and reveal a stepwise mechanism of activation whereby STING filament assembly is required for subsequent effector activation. Our results define the structural basis of STING filament formation in prokaryotic antiviral signalling.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a currently incurable ciliopathy caused by the failure to correctly establish or maintain cilia-dependent signaling pathways. Eight proteins associated with BBS assemble into the BBSome, a key regulator of the ciliary membrane proteome. We report the electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the native bovine BBSome in inactive and active states at 3.1 and 3.5 Å resolution, respectively. In the active state, the BBSome is bound to an Arf-family GTPase (ARL6/BBS3) that recruits the BBSome to ciliary membranes. ARL6 recognizes a composite binding site formed by BBS1 and BBS7 that is occluded in the inactive state. Activation requires an unexpected swiveling of the β-propeller domain of BBS1, the subunit most frequently implicated in substrate recognition, which widens a central cavity of the BBSome. Structural mapping of disease-causing mutations suggests that pathogenesis results from folding defects and the disruption of autoinhibition and activation.

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Graphical AbstractHighlights d ANKZF1 cleaves off the 3 0 CCA of peptidyl-tRNAs on stalled ribosomes d A 2 0 ,3 0 -cyclic phosphate must be removed from ANKZF1cleaved tRNAs for recycling d ELAC1 is necessary and sufficient to repair ANKZF1-cleaved tRNAs for CCA addition d ELAC1 activity is specialized for tRNA repair over tRNA biogenesis SUMMARY Ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) disassembles aberrantly stalled translation complexes to recycle or degrade the constituent parts. A key step of RQC is the cleavage of P-site tRNA by the endonuclease ANKZF1 (Vms1 in yeast) to release incompletely synthesized polypeptides from ribosomes for degradation. Re-use of the cleaved tRNA for translation requires re-addition of the universal 3 0 CCA nucleotides removed by ANKZF1. Here, we show that ELAC1 is both necessary and sufficient to remove the 2 0 ,3 0 -cyclic phosphate on ANKZF1-cleaved tRNAs to permit CCA re-addition by TRNT1. ELAC1 activity is optimized for tRNA recycling, whereas ELAC2, the essential RNase Z isoform in eukaryotes, is required to remove 3 0 trailers during tRNA biogenesis. Cells lacking ELAC1 specifically accumulate unrepaired tRNA intermediates upon the induction of ribosome stalling. Thus, optimal recycling of ANKZF1-cleaved tRNAs in vertebrates is achieved through the duplication and specialization of a conserved tRNA biosynthesis enzyme.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is an incurable ciliopathy caused by the failure to correctly 1 establish or maintain cilia-dependent signaling pathways. Eight proteins associated with BBS 2 assemble into the BBSome, a master regulator of the ciliary membrane proteome. We report the 3 electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the native bovine BBSome in inactive and 4 active states at 3.1 and 3.5 Å resolution, respectively. In the active state, the BBSome is bound to 5 an Arf-family GTPase (ARL6/BBS3) that recruits the BBSome to ciliary membranes. ARL6 6 recognizes a composite binding site formed by BBS1 and BBS7 that is occluded in the inactive 7 state. Activation requires an unexpected swiveling of the b-propeller domain of BBS1, the key 8 subunit implicated in substrate recognition, which widens a central cavity of the BBSome. 9Structural mapping of disease-causing mutations suggests that pathogenesis predominantly 10 results from disruption of autoinhibition and activation. 11