Cells are equipped with an efficient quality control system to selectively eliminate abnormally folded and damaged proteins. Initially the cell tries to refold the unfolded proteins with the help of molecular chaperones, and failure to refold leads to their degradation by the ubiquitin proteasome system. But how this proteolytic machinery recognizes the abnormally folded proteins is poorly understood. Here, we report that E6-AP, a HECT domain family ubiquitin ligase implicated in Angelman syndrome, interacts with the substrate binding domain of Hsp70/ Hsc70 chaperones and promotes the degradation of chaperone bound substrates. The expression of E6-AP was dramatically induced under a variety of stresses, and overexpression of E6-AP was found to protect against endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cell death. The inhibition of proteasome function not only increases the expression of E6-AP but also causes its redistribution around microtubule-organizing center, a subcellular structure for the degradation of the cytoplasmic misfolded proteins. E6-AP is also recruited to aggresomes containing the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator or expanded polyglutamine proteins. Finally, we demonstrate that E6-AP ubiquitinates misfolded luciferase that is bound by Hsp70. Our results suggest that E6-AP functions as a cellular quality control ubiquitin ligase and, therefore, can be implicated not only in the pathogenesis of Angelman syndrome but also in the biology of neurodegenerative disorders involving protein aggregation.In the living cell both existing and newly synthesized proteins are at constant risk of misfolding and aggregation. However, cells have a surveillance system that maintains a delicate balance between protecting misfolded proteins with the help of molecular chaperones and promoting rapid and efficient clearance of the misfolded and damaged proteins by ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) 3 (1-4). Any alteration of this homeostatic balance affects normal cellular function and cell viability. Environmental factors such as increased temperature or exposure of various chemical agents can lead to rapid build up of unfolded and damaged proteins inside the cells. Abnormally folded proteins also can be produced in cells resulting from various genetic mutations (5-9). The failure of clearance of misfolded and damaged proteins by UPS can result in the formation of potentially toxic aggregates. Once the aggregation process begins, it further disrupts the function of UPS by overloading its capacity (10). Degradation of a protein by UPS involves two distinct and successive steps; they are (a) covalent attachment of multiple molecules of ubiquitin to the target protein and (b) degradation of the targeted protein by 26 S proteasome (11). Ubiquitination is a multistep process consisting of activating (E1), conjugating (E2), and ligating (E3) enzymes. The E3 ubiquitin ligase plays a critical role in the substrate selectivity and exists with large diversity (12). However, the molecular mechanisms through which UPS s...
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused due to deletions or loss-of-function mutations in maternally inherited UBE3A. Ube3a functions as an ubiquitin ligase as well as a transcriptional coactivator of steroid hormone receptors. However, the mechanisms by which maternal Ube3a deficiency gives rise to phenotypic features of AS are not clear. We report here that Ube3a regulates glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transactivation and GR signaling pathway is disrupted in Ube3a-maternal-deficient mice brain. The expression of several GR-dependent genes is down-regulated in multiple brain regions of Ube3a-maternal-deficient mice. AS mice show significantly higher level of blood corticosterone, selective loss of GR and reduced number of parvalbumin-positive inhibitory interneurons in their hippocampus that could ultimately lead to increased stress. These mice also exhibit increased anxiety-like behavior, which could be due to chronic stress. Altogether, our findings suggest that chronic stress due to altered GR signaling might lead to anxiety-like behavior in a mouse of model of AS.
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by autism, intellectual disability and motor disturbances. The disease is primarily caused by the loss of function of maternally inherited UBE3A. Ube3a maternaldeficient mice recapitulates many essential feature of AS. These AS mice have been shown to be under chronic stress and exhibits anxiety-like behaviour because of defective glucocorticoid receptor signalling. Here, we demonstrate that chronic stress in these mice could lead to down-regulation of parvalbumin-positive interneurons in the hippocampus and basolateral amygdala from early post-natal days. Down-regulation of parvalbumin-positive interneurons number could be because of decrease in the expression of parvalbumin in these neurons. We also find that treatment with fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, results in restoration of impaired glucocorticoid signalling, elevated serum corticosterone level, parvalbumin-positive interneurons and anxiety-like behaviours. Our findings suggest that impaired glucocorticod signalling in hippocampus and amygdala of AS mice is critical for the decrease in parvalbumin interneurons number, emergence of anxiety and other behavioural deficits and highlights the importance of fluoxetine in the recovery of these abnormalities.
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