Polyubiquitin-C is a protein encoded by the UBC gene in humans. [5] [6] [7] Polyubiquitin-C is one of the sources of ubiquitin, along with UBB, UBA52, and RPS27A. [8]
UBC gene is one of the two stress-regulated polyubiquitin genes (UBB and UBC) in mammals. It plays a key role in maintaining cellular ubiquitin levels under stress conditions. [9] [10] Defects of UBC gene could lead to mid-gestation embryonic lethality.
UBC gene is located at chromosome 12q24.3, consisting of 2 exons. The promoter of the UBC gene contains putative heat shock elements (HSEs), which mediates UBC induction upon stress. UBC gene differs from UBB gene in the number of Ub coding units they contain. [9] Nine to ten Ub units were in the UBC gene.
In polyubiquitin-C, the C-terminus of a given ubiquitin molecule is covalently conjugated to either the N-terminal residue or one of seven lysine residues of another ubiquitin molecule. [11] Different linking of ubiquitin chains results in distinct conformations. There are 8 linkage types of polyubiquitin-C, and each type possesses the linkage-dependent dynamics and a linkage-specific conformation. [12] [13]
The diversity of polyubiquitin-C means that ubiquitylation contributes to the regulation of many cellular events. Polyubiquitin-C doesn’t activate the heat-shock response, but it plays a key role in sustaining the response. UBC gene transcription is induced during stress and provides extra ubiquitin necessary to remove damaged/unfolded proteins. [10] [14] Polyubiquitin-C has important role in diverse biological processes, such as innate immunity, DNA repair and kinase activity. [15] [16] [17] Unanchored polyubiquitin-C are also key signaling molecules that connect and coordinate the proteasome and autophagy to eliminate toxic protein aggregates. [18]
Loss of a single UBC allele has no apparent phenotype, while homozygous deletion of UBC gene leads to mid-gestation embryonic lethality due to a defect in fetal liver development, as well as a delay in cell-cycle progression and increased susceptibility to cellular stress. [10] It is also reported that homozygous deletion of UBC gene in mouse embryonic fibroblasts will cause decreased cellular Ub level and reduced viability under oxidative stress. [19]
Polyubiquitin-C has been shown to interact with:
p53, also known as Tumor protein P53, cellular tumor antigen p53, or transformation-related protein 53 (TRP53) is a regulatory protein that is often mutated in human cancers. The p53 proteins are crucial in vertebrates, where they prevent cancer formation. As such, p53 has been described as "the guardian of the genome" because of its role in conserving stability by preventing genome mutation. Hence TP53 is classified as a tumor suppressor gene.
Ubiquitin is a small (8.6 kDa) regulatory protein found in most tissues of eukaryotic organisms, i.e., it is found ubiquitously. It was discovered in 1975 by Gideon Goldstein and further characterized throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. Four genes in the human genome code for ubiquitin: UBB, UBC, UBA52 and RPS27A.
Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), also known as deubiquitinating peptidases, deubiquitinating isopeptidases, deubiquitinases, ubiquitin proteases, ubiquitin hydrolases, or ubiquitin isopeptidases, are a large group of proteases that cleave ubiquitin from proteins. Ubiquitin is attached to proteins in order to regulate the degradation of proteins via the proteasome and lysosome; coordinate the cellular localisation of proteins; activate and inactivate proteins; and modulate protein-protein interactions. DUBs can reverse these effects by cleaving the peptide or isopeptide bond between ubiquitin and its substrate protein. In humans there are nearly 100 DUB genes, which can be classified into two main classes: cysteine proteases and metalloproteases. The cysteine proteases comprise ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs), ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolases (UCHs), Machado-Josephin domain proteases (MJDs) and ovarian tumour proteases (OTU). The metalloprotease group contains only the Jab1/Mov34/Mpr1 Pad1 N-terminal+ (MPN+) (JAMM) domain proteases.
Ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) also known as E6AP ubiquitin-protein ligase (E6AP) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the UBE3A gene. This enzyme is involved in targeting proteins for degradation within cells.
Mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) also known as E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase Mdm2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MDM2 gene. Mdm2 is an important negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor. Mdm2 protein functions both as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that recognizes the N-terminal trans-activation domain (TAD) of the p53 tumor suppressor and as an inhibitor of p53 transcriptional activation.
IKK-β also known as inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit beta is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IKBKB gene.
Cbl is a mammalian gene family. CBL gene, a part of the Cbl family, encodes the protein CBL which is an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase involved in cell signalling and protein ubiquitination. Mutations to this gene have been implicated in a number of human cancers, particularly acute myeloid leukaemia.
Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the HIPK2 gene. HIPK2 can be categorized as a Serine/Threonine Protein kinase, specifically one that interacts with homeodomain transcription factors. It belongs to a family of protein kinases known as the DYRK kinases. Within this family HIPK2 belongs to a group of homeodomain-interacting protein kinases (HIPKs), including HIPK1 and HIPK3. HIPK2 can be found in a wide variety of species and its functions in gene expression and apoptosis are regulated by several different mechanisms.
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 N is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UBE2N gene.
Ubiquitin-specific-processing protease 7 (USP7), also known as ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 7 or herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease (HAUSP), is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the USP7 gene.
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 D1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UBE2D1 gene.
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 D2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UBE2D2 gene.
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 variant 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UBE2V2 gene. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 variant proteins constitute a distinct subfamily within the E2 protein family.
E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase SMURF2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the SMURF2 gene which is located at chromosome 17q23.3-q24.1.
Ubiquitin/ISG15-conjugating enzyme E2 L6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UBE2L6 gene.
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 variant 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UBE2V1 gene.
Cullin-associated NEDD8-dissociated protein 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CAND1 gene.
Tripartite motif-containing 22, also known as TRIM22, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the TRIM22 gene.
RanBP-type and C3HC4-type zinc finger-containing protein 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RBCK1 gene.
CCR4-NOT transcription complex, subunit 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CNOT4 gene.