Interplay between the phosphatase PHLPP1 and E3 ligase RNF41 stimulates proper kinetochore assembly via the outer-kinetochore protein SGT1

J Biol Chem. 2017 Aug 25;292(34):13947-13958. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M117.782896. Epub 2017 Jul 10.

Abstract

Kinetochores link chromosomes to spindle microtubules and are essential for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. Kinetochores assemble at the centromeric region of chromosomes as a multiprotein complex. However, the molecular mechanisms of kinetochore assembly have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we identified pleckstrin homology domain and leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) as a regulatory phosphatase that facilitates proper kinetochore assembly. We found that PHLPP1 interacted with the essential outer-kinetochore protein SGT1 and stabilized its protein levels. Loss of PHLPP1 from cells led to SGT1 degradation and thereby caused defective kinetochore assembly. We also found that the ring finger protein 41 (RNF41) as an E3 ligase ubiquitinated and degraded SGT1 in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. PHLPP1 dephosphorylated SGT1 at four conserved residues (Ser-17, Ser-249, Ser-289, and Thr-233) and thereby prevented SGT1 from associating with RNF41, in turn, countering SGT1 degradation. Importantly, depletion of RNF41 or expression of a non-phosphorylatable SGT1 mutant rescued the kinetochore defects caused by the loss of PHLPP1. Taken together, our results suggest that PHLPP1 plays an important role in the assembly of kinetochores by counteracting RNF41-mediated SGT1 degradation.

Keywords: E3 ubiquitin ligase; PHLPP1; RNF41; SGT1; cell cycle; kinetochore; mitosis; phosphatase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / chemistry
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Kinetochores / chemistry
  • Kinetochores / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Nuclear Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / chemistry
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / genetics
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Point Mutation
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Protein Stability
  • Proteolysis
  • RNA Interference
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Time-Lapse Imaging
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / chemistry
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • SUGT1 protein, human
  • RNF41 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • PHLPP1 protein, human
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases