Ubiquitination controls the stability of most cellular proteins, and its deregulation contributes to human diseases including cancer. Deubiquitinases remove ubiquitin from proteins, and their inhibition can induce the degradation of selected proteins, potentially including otherwise 'undruggable' targets. For example, the inhibition of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) results in the degradation of the oncogenic E3 ligase MDM2, and leads to re-activation of the tumour suppressor p53 in various cancers. Here we report that two compounds, FT671 and FT827, inhibit USP7 with high affinity and specificity in vitro and within human cells. Co-crystal structures reveal that both compounds target a dynamic pocket near the catalytic centre of the auto-inhibited apo form of USP7, which differs from other USP deubiquitinases. Consistent with USP7 target engagement in cells, FT671 destabilizes USP7 substrates including MDM2, increases levels of p53, and results in the transcription of p53 target genes, induction of the tumour suppressor p21, and inhibition of tumour growth in mice.

STIM1 has been recently identified as a Ca 2؉ sensor in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and an initiator of the store-operated Ca 2؉ entry (SOCE) pathway, but the mechanism of SOCE activation remains controversial. Here we focus on the early ERdelimited steps of the SOCE pathway and demonstrate that STIM1 is critically involved in initiating of production of calcium influx factor (CIF), a diffusible messenger that can deliver the signal from the stores to plasma membrane and activate SOCE. We discovered that CIF production is tightly coupled with STIM1 expression and requires functional integrity of its intraluminal sterile ␣-motif (SAM) domain. We demonstrate that 1) molecular knockdown or overexpression

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Store-operated channels (SOC) are known to be physiologically activated following agonist-induced IP3 production and depletion of Ca2+ stores. Here we present molecular,biophysical and mechanistic evidence that two ubiquitously expressed plasma membrane channels may be responsible for creating a complex and sometimes controversial SOC image: one being a real SOC encoded by Orai1 and activated exclusively upon depletion of Ca2+ stores (via iPLA2beta -dependent pathway), while the second one is an IP3 receptor-operated channel (IP3ROC) encoded by TRPC1 and activated via its conformational coupling with IP3 receptor. In RBL-2H3 cells endogenously expressing Orai1 and TRPC1, we unmasked and characterized whole-cell current through IP3ROC channels that was hiding behind some familiar fingerprints of ICRAC, a current through the classical Ca2+-selective SOC (CRAC) channels. We discriminated these currents by their molecular identity, selectivity and different requirements for store depletion, IP3, iPLA2beta and conformational coupling to IP3 receptor. New knowledge on the properties and coexistence of Orai1-encoded SOC and TRPC1-encoded IP3ROC, and the use of experimental approaches introduced in this manuscript should help avoid further confusion about these channels, and open new exciting possibilities for their independent studies

2؉ release (net loss) as well as by simple buffering of free Ca 2؉ within the stores, 2) a specific 82-kDa variant of iPLA 2 ␤ and its corresponding activity are present in membrane fraction of RBL cells, 3) exogenous CIF (extracted from other species) mimics the effects of endogenous CIF and activates iPLA 2 ␤ when applied to cell homogenates but not intact cells, 4) activation of I CRAC can be triggered in resting RBL cells by dialysis with exogenous CIF, 5) molecular or functional inhibition of iPLA 2 ␤ prevents activation of I CRAC , which could be rescued by cell dialysis with a human recombinant iPLA 2 ␤, 6) dependence of I CRAC on intracellular pH strictly follows pH dependence of iPLA 2 ␤ activity, and 7) (S)-BEL, a chiral enantiomer of suicidal substrate specific for iPLA 2 ␤, could be effectively used for pharmacological inhibition of I CRAC and store-operated Ca 2؉ entry. These findings validate and significantly advance our understanding of the CIF-iPLA 2 -dependent mechanism of activation of I CRAC and store-operated Ca 2؉ entry.