Regulatory subunit complex dissociated from 26S proteasome: isolation and characterization

Abstract

A ubiquitin (Ub)/ATP-dependent proteolytic complex (26S proteasome) purified from rabbit skeletal muscle was dissociated into two subcomplexes, a 20S proteasome and a regulatory subunit complex, by preparative non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The isolated regulatory subunit complex preparation gave a single broad band on analytical non-denaturing PAGE, and several bands ranging between 33 and 110 kDa on SDS-PAGE. This complex was found to consist of about 20 subunits on the basis of two-dimensional PAGE, the pattern of which appeared identical or very similar to that of the 33–110 kDa 26S proteasome subunits. The apparent molecular mass of the complex was estimated to be 1100 kDa by Ferguson plot analysis and also by Superose 6 gel filtration. Unlike the 26S proteasome, neither ATPase activity nor protease activities toward Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-MCA, Boc-Phe-Ser-Arg-MCA, Z-Leu-Leu-Glu-βNA, [ 14C]-casein, [ 125I]-lysozyme and Ub-[ 125I]-lysozyme were significantly detectable in the regulatory subunit complex. This complex was found to be capable of associating with itself in MgATP-dependent manner. These results suggest that a regulatory subunit complex dissociated from the 26S proteasome comprises all the higher molecular mass subunits of the 26S proteasome, and has no detectable ATPase and protease activities, although the homo-oligomerization occurs in an ATP-dependent fashion.