Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) May Act as a Substrate and a Recognition Unit for CRL4CRBN and Stub1 E3 Ligases Facilitating Ubiquitination of Proteins Involved in Presynaptic Functions and Neurodegeneration.

TitleAmyloid Precursor Protein (APP) May Act as a Substrate and a Recognition Unit for CRL4CRBN and Stub1 E3 Ligases Facilitating Ubiquitination of Proteins Involved in Presynaptic Functions and Neurodegeneration.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsDel Prete D, Rice RC, Rajadhyaksha AM, D'Adamio L
JournalJ Biol Chem
Volume291
Issue33
Pagination17209-27
Date Published2016 08 12
ISSN1083-351X
KeywordsAlzheimer Disease, Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor, Animals, Apolipoproteins E, Cullin Proteins, DNA-Binding Proteins, Humans, Mice, Multienzyme Complexes, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Synaptic Transmission, tau Proteins, Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases, Ubiquitination
Abstract

The amyloid precursor protein (APP), whose mutations cause Alzheimer disease, plays an important in vivo role and facilitates transmitter release. Because the APP cytosolic region (ACR) is essential for these functions, we have characterized its brain interactome. We found that the ACR interacts with proteins that regulate the ubiquitin-proteasome system, predominantly with the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases Stub1, which binds the NH2 terminus of the ACR, and CRL4(CRBN), which is formed by Cul4a/b, Ddb1, and Crbn, and interacts with the COOH terminus of the ACR via Crbn. APP shares essential functions with APP-like protein-2 (APLP2) but not APP-like protein-1 (APLP1). Noteworthy, APLP2, but not APLP1, interacts with Stub1 and CRL4(CRBN), pointing to a functional pathway shared only by APP and APLP2. In vitro ubiquitination/ubiquitome analysis indicates that these E3 ligases are enzymatically active and ubiquitinate the ACR residues Lys(649/650/651/676/688) Deletion of Crbn reduces ubiquitination of Lys(676) suggesting that Lys(676) is physiologically ubiquitinated by CRL4(CRBN) The ACR facilitated in vitro ubiquitination of presynaptic proteins that regulate exocytosis, suggesting a mechanism by which APP tunes transmitter release. Other dementia-related proteins, namely Tau and apoE, interact with and are ubiquitinated via the ACR in vitro This, and the evidence that CRBN and CUL4B are linked to intellectual disability, prompts us to hypothesize a pathogenic mechanism, in which APP acts as a modulator of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase(s), shared by distinct neuronal disorders. The well described accumulation of ubiquitinated protein inclusions in neurodegenerative diseases and the link between the ubiquitin-proteasome system and neurodegeneration make this concept plausible.

DOI10.1074/jbc.M116.733626
Alternate JournalJ. Biol. Chem.
PubMed ID27325702
PubMed Central IDPMC5016122
Grant ListR01 AG033007 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG041531 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG052286 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R21 AG048971 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States