Direct involvement of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc9/Hus5 in the degradation of IkappaBalpha

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Jul 22;94(15):7862-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.94.15.7862.

Abstract

The NF-kappaB/Rel proteins are sequestered in the cytoplasm in association with IkappaBalpha. In response to external signals, IkappaBalpha is phosphorylated, multi-ubiquitinated, and degraded by proteasomes, thereby releasing NF-kappaB/Rel proteins to migrate to the nucleus. We have cloned a mouse ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (mE2), which associates with IkappaBalpha. mE2 is homologous to the yeast Ubc9/Hus5 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. A transdominant-negative mutant of mE2 had no effect on phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha, but delayed its degradation. Correspondingly, tumor necrosis factor-alpha-inducible NF-kappaB activity was diminished. We propose that mE2 is directly involved in the ubiquitin conjugation of IkappaBalpha, a pivotal step in its degradation pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Genes, Dominant
  • Hydrolysis
  • I-kappa B Proteins*
  • Ligases / genetics
  • Ligases / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis
  • NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins*
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes*

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Fungal Proteins
  • I-kappa B Proteins
  • NF-kappa B
  • Nfkbia protein, mouse
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes
  • Ligases
  • HUS5 protein, S pombe
  • ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC9

Associated data

  • GENBANK/U82627