Carboxy Terminus Of Hsc70-interacting Protein Research Articles

YL-109 attenuates sepsis-associated multiple organ injury through inhibiting the ERK/AP-1 axis and pyroptosis by upregulating CHIP

Sepsis is a severe inflammatory disorder that can lead to life-threatening multiple organ injury. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation is the leading cause of multiple organ failure in sepsis. This study aimed to explore the effect of a novel agent, 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-benzothiazole (YL-109), on LPS-induced multiple organ injury and the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. The results showed that YL-109 protected against LPS-induced high mortality, cardiac dysfunction, pulmonary and intestinal injury through inhibiting the proinflammatory response, NLRP3 expression and pyroptosis-associated indicators in mouse tissues. YL-109 suppressed LPS-initiated cytokine release, pyroptosis and pyroptosis-related protein expression in HL-1, IEC-6 and MLE-12 cells, which was consistent with the results of the in vivo experiments. Mechanistically, YL-109 reduces phosphorylated ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) levels and NF-κB activation, which are achieved through upregulating CHIP (carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein) expression, thereby inhibiting c-Jun and c-Fos activation as well as NLRP3 expression. As an E3 ligase, CHIP overexpression obviously promoted the degradation of phosphorylated ERK and inhibited the expression of NF-κB-mediated NLRP3 in cells stimulated with LPS. The protective effects of YL-109 against cardiac, pulmonary and intestinal damage, inflammation and pyroptosis caused by LPS were eliminated in CHIP knockout mice. Our results not only reveal the protective effect and molecular mechanism of YL-109 against LPS-mediated organs damage but also provide additional insights into the effect of CHIP on negatively regulating pyroptosis and inflammatory pathways.

CHIP protects against septic acute kidney injury by inhibiting NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis

Septic acute kidney injury (S-AKI), the most common type of acute kidney injury (AKI), is intimately related to pyroptosis and oxidative stress in its pathogenesis. Carboxy-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), a U-box E3 ligase, modulates oxidative stress by degrading its targeted proteins. The role of CHIP in S-AKI and its relevance with pyroptosis have not been investigated. In this study, we showed that CHIP was downregulated in renal proximal tubular cells in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced S-AKI. Besides, the extent of redox injuries in S-AKI was attenuated by CHIP overexpression or activation but accentuated by CHIP gene disruption. Mechanistically, our work demonstrated that CHIP interacted with and ubiquitinated NLRP3 to promote its proteasomal degradation, leading to the inhibition of NLRP3/ACS inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. In summary, this study revealed that CHIP ubiquitinated NLRP3 to alleviate pyroptosis in septic renal injuries, suggesting that CHIP might be a potential therapeutic target for S-AKI.

Myo-Inositol Supplementation Alleviates Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury via Inhibition of Ferroptosis.

Myo-inositol, a carbocyclic sugar, is believed to be relevant to renal pathobiology since the kidney is the major site for its catabolism. Its role in acute kidney injury (AKI) has not been fully investigated. Ferroptosis, a unique form of regulated cell death, is involved in various types of renal injuries. The relevance of myo-inositol with respect to the process of ferroptosis has not been explored either. Herein, our current exploratory studies revealed that supplementation of myo-inositol attenuates cisplatin-induced injury in cultured Boston University mouse proximal tubular (BUMPT) cells and renal tubules in vivo. Moreover, our studies unraveled that metabolic parameters pertaining to ferroptosis were disrupted in cisplatin-treated proximal tubular cells, which were seemingly remedied by the administration of myo-inositol. Mechanistically, we noted that cisplatin treatment led to the up-regulation of NOX4, a key enzyme relevant to ferroptosis, which was normalized by the administration of myo-inositol. Furthermore, we observed that changes in the NOX4 expression induced by cisplatin or myo-inositol were modulated by carboxy-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Taken together, our investigation suggests that myo-inositol promotes CHIP-mediated ubiquitination of NOX4 to decelerate the process of ferroptosis, leading to the amelioration of cisplatin-induced AKI.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP protects against sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction by inhibiting NF-κB-mediated inflammation via promoting ubiquitination and degradation of karyopherin-α 2

Cardiac dysfunction has been recognized as a major contributor to mortality in sepsis, which is closely associated with inflammatory reactions. The carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), a U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase, defends against cardiac injury caused by other factors, but its role in sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction has yet to be determined. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of CHIP on cardiac dysfunction caused by sepsis and the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. We discovered that the CHIP level decreased gradually in the heart at different time points after septic model construction. The decline in CHIP expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cardiomyocytes was related to c-Jun activation that inhibited the transcription of CHIP. Functional biology experiments indicated that CHIP bound directly to karyopherin-α 2 (KPNA2) and promoted its degradation through polyubiquitination in cardiomyocytes. CHIP overexpression in cardiomyocytes obviously inhibited LPS-initiated release of TNF-α and IL-6 by promoting KPNA2 degradation, reducing NF-κB translocation into the nucleus. Consistent with the in vitro results, data obtained from animal experiments indicated that septic transgenic mice with heart-specific CHIP overexpression showed a weaker proinflammatory response and reduced cardiac dysfunction than septic control mice. Furthermore, we found that the therapeutic effect of compound YL-109 on cardiac dysfunction in septic mice was due to the upregulation of myocardial CHIP expression. These findings demonstrated that sepsis-initiated the activation of c-Jun suppressed CHIP transcription. CHIP directly promoted ubiquitin-mediated degradation of KPNA2, which reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the translocation of NF-κB from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in myocardium, thereby attenuating sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Functional Dynamics of Hsp70/CHIP/E2‐Ub Complex in Ubiquitination of Substrate Proteins

Heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 is the main mediator of protein quality control in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. One of the major functions of Hsp70 is mediate the ubiquitination of client proteins which subsequently leads to proteasomal degradation. This process occurs via a multiprotein complex composed of Hsp70, carboxy terminus of Hsc70 interacting protein (CHIP), ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme (E2), and ubiquitin (Ub). This complex is thought to be flexible, however, knowledge of the degree of dynamics are still lacking and detailed experimental evidence is needed. Here we present the models derived from Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) data and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) ensembles for the complexes of Hsp70/CHIP/E2‐Ub with ATP or ADP. The model of ATP bound Hsp70/CHIP/E2‐Ub complex has an average distance of ~120 Å between the substrate‐binding domain (SBD) and the E2‐ubiquitin active site. The same distance of the multiprotein complex is found to be decreased to ~60 Å when Hsp70 is bound to ADP. Since the ADP bound conformation is considered as the active conformation that tightly binds client proteins, the alteration of the average distance between the Hsp70 SBD and the E2‐Ub active site implies that the Lys residue of the substrate might need to be positioned within appropriate distance to span the gap in order to efficiently promote ubiquitination. Here, we used molecular dynamic simulations, double electron‐electron resonance (DEER) EPR spectroscopy and in‐vitroubiquitination assays with designed model substrate proteins that place lysine residues at variable positions. We found the dynamics of the Hsp70/CHIP/E2‐Ubiquitin complex is playing a major role in the ubiquitination of various client proteins and these dynamics are necessary to overcome the distance barrier between E2‐Ub active site and the Hsp70 SBD. Our data also suggests that the Hsp70/CHIP complex is capable of ubiquitinating a client protein substrate when lysine residues are placed at several disparate positions. In sum, our data reveals the functional dynamics of the Hsp70/CHIP/E2‐Ub complex which enable ubiquitination of a client protein.

The Role of NEDD4 E3 Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases in Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that causes a great clinical burden. However, its exact molecular pathologies are not fully understood. Whilst there are a number of avenues for research into slowing, halting, or reversing PD, one central idea is to enhance the clearance of the proposed aetiological protein, oligomeric α-synuclein. Oligomeric α-synuclein is the main constituent protein in Lewy bodies and neurites and is considered neurotoxic. Multiple E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases, including the NEDD4 (neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 4) family, parkin, SIAH (mammalian homologues of Drosophila seven in absentia), CHIP (carboxy-terminus of Hsc70 interacting protein), and SCFFXBL5 SCF ubiquitin ligase assembled by the S-phase kinase-associated protein (SKP1), cullin-1 (Cul1), a zinc-binding RING finger protein, and the F-box domain/Leucine-rich repeat protein 5-containing protein FBXL5), have been shown to be able to ubiquitinate α-synuclein, influencing its subsequent degradation via the proteasome or lysosome. Here, we explore the link between NEDD4 ligases and PD, which is not only via α-synuclein but further strengthened by several additional substrates and interaction partners. Some members of the NEDD4 family of ligases are thought to crosstalk even with PD-related genes and proteins found to be mutated in familial forms of PD. Mutations in NEDD4 family genes have not been observed in PD patients, most likely because of their essential survival function during development. Following further in vivo studies, it has been thought that NEDD4 ligases may be viable therapeutic targets in PD. NEDD4 family members could clear toxic proteins, enhancing cell survival and slowing disease progression, or might diminish beneficial proteins, reducing cell survival and accelerating disease progression. Here, we review studies to date on the expression and function of NEDD4 ubiquitin ligases in the brain and their possible impact on PD pathology.

The Multi‐functional Enzyme CHIP Regulates Microtubule Dynamics

The Carboxy‐terminus of Hsc70 Interacting Protein (CHIP) controls several aspects of protein quality control machinery through its ability to function as a co‐chaperone, autonomous chaperone, and ubiquitin ligase. CHIP is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues, but interestingly, CHIP expression is higher in certain tissues such as heart, muscle and brain, suggesting an increased dependence on CHIP function in these organ systems. This concept is supported by studies that show how altered CHIP function associates with several ailments such as cardiac diseases, neurological disorders, and cancer. Microtubules (MTs) are a part of the cellular cytoskeleton that provides shape and structure to cells. In addition to these roles, MTs play a crucial role in cell division, migration, intracellular organization and trafficking. Dynamic assembly and disassembly of MTs upon various stimuli is important for the proper functioning of differentiated cells and is a process orchestrated by multiple proteins. Dysregulation in the MT reorganization machinery is implicated in a similar spectrum of diseases associated with the loss of CHIP function, however, there has yet to be a direct connection between CHIP and MT dynamics. We performed a proteomics screen on wild type and CHIP−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts and identified differential regulation of proteins that regulate several aspects of MT function, such as STMN1 and PDLIM. Given the importance of CHIP in protein homeostasis, we hypothesized that CHIP is necessary for proper MT dynamics in response to cellular stimulations. We found that CHIP is required for the phosphorylation of stathmin, a regulator of MT assembly, and for the tubulin polymerization in C2C12 myoblast cells following insulin and glucose stimulation. This stimulation triggers an important MT‐dependent process to mediate glucose uptake. Furthermore, ex vivo studies using muscle fibers isolated from CHIP−/− mice failed to form MT lattices after glucose stimulation, consistent with a new role for CHIP in regulating MT in muscle. Altered MT dynamics, as well as CHIP loss of function, are also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly those associated with proteinopathies. To determine if CHIP contributes to MT regulation in neurons, we used an immunoprecipitation‐mass spectrometry approach and identified changes in interactions between CHIP and MT proteins during proteotoxic stress. Future experiments will focus on validating the interaction data and further dissecting the specific functions of CHIP that contribute to the regulation of MT dynamics using biochemical approaches and imaging. In conclusion, for the first‐time, our data couple CHIP to MT dynamics, and suggest that CHIP may contribute to cell protection by regulating the proteins that are vital to MT dynamics.Support or Funding InformationFunding was provided by a grant to J.C.S. from the National Institute of Aging (R01‐GM061728).

The Misfolded Protein Client as a Determinant of Substrate Ubiquitination by the Hsp70/CHIP Complex

The E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP (carboxy terminus of Hsc70 interacting protein) targets misfolded proteins chaperoned by heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) for ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Hsp70 recruits and attempts to refold misfolded proteins, or “clients”, in iterative, ATP‐dependent cycles. In contrast, binding of Hsp70 to the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of CHIP, allows for client proteins to be recruited for ubiquitination by CHIP. Ubiquitination of lysine residues on a client protein allows CHIP/Hsp70 complexes to promote the proteasomal degradation of the client. Thus, the CHIP/Hsp70 complex stands at the crossroads of degradative and refolding pathways of client proteins which is crucial for cellular protein quality control. The current knowledge in the field lacks a clear understanding of how the CHIP/Hsp70 complex executes its triage mechanism that directs misfolded proteins for either refolding or degradation. Recent models of ATP and ADP bound Hsp70 revealed the distances between the substrate binding domain (SBD) and the E2~ubiquitin conjugate active site as ~120 Å and ~60 Å respectively. This implies, with the dynamic conformational changes of Hsp70 complex, the ADP‐bound state of Hsp70 organizes the chaperoned ubiquitination complex by properly orienting the client with respect to CHIP which allows the client protein to span this 60 Å gap and accept the ubiquitin from the bound E2‐ubiquitin conjugate. Therefore, the distance between Hsp70 binding site and the active site of the E2~ubiquitin conjugate bound to CHIP plays a significant role as a determinant in the triage mechanism of CHIP/Hsp70. In this study, we focus on investigating the relationship between key distances within the CHIP/Hsp70/client complex and the ubiquitination activity of the CHIP/Hsp70 complex by utilizing in‐vitro ubiquitination assays of modified substrates.Support or Funding InformationNSF 15‐52113This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Osmotic and heat stress-dependent regulation of MLK4β and MLK3 by the CHIP E3 ligase in ovarian cancer cells

Mixed Lineage Kinase 3 (MLK3), a member of the MLK subfamily of protein kinases, is a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) that activates MAPK signalling pathways and regulates cellular responses such as proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. MLK4β, another member of the MLK subfamily, is less extensively studied, and the regulation of MLK4β by stress stimuli is not known. In this study, the regulation of MLK4β and MLK3 by osmotic stress, thermostress and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibition was investigated in ovarian cancer cells. MLK3 and MLK4β protein levels declined under conditions of prolonged osmotic stress, heat stress or exposure to the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GA); and MLK3 protein declined faster than MLK4β. Similar to MLK3, the reduction in MLK4β protein in cells exposed to heat or osmotic stresses occurred via a mechanism that involves the E3 ligase, carboxy-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). Both heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and CHIP overexpression led to polyubiquitination and a decrease in endogenous MLK4β protein, and MLK4β was ubiquitinated by CHIP in vitro. In untreated cells and cells exposed to osmotic and heat stresses for short time periods, small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of MLK4β elevated the levels of activated MLK3, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPKs. Furthermore, MLK3 binds to MLK4β, and this association is regulated by osmotic stress. These results suggest that in the early response to stressful stimuli, MLK4β-MLK3 binding is important for regulating MLK3 activity and MAPK signalling, and after prolonged periods of stress exposure, MLK4β and MLK3 proteins decline via CHIP-dependent degradation. These findings provide insight into how heat and osmotic stresses regulate MLK4β and MLK3, and reveal an important function for MLK4β in modulating MLK3 activity in stress responses.

PC-1 works in conjunction with E3 ligase CHIP to regulate androgen receptor stability and activity

The androgen receptor (AR) is not only a ligand-dependent transcription factor, but also functions as a licensing factor, a component of DNA replication, which is degraded during mitosis. Furthermore, the deregulation of AR activity is involved in the initiation of prostate cancer and contributes to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). While AR degradation is known to occur primarily through a proteasome-mediated pathway, very little is known about how this process is regulated, especially in M phase. PC-1 is an androgen-responsive factor and expresses specificity in prostate cancer, with higher expression noted at G2/M. In this study, PC-1 was shown to interact with AR and E3 ligase CHIP (Carboxy-terminus of Hsc70 Interacting Protein) and to enhance AR/CHIP interactions, thereby decreasing AR stability. Moreover, PC-1 was found to act in conjunction with CHIP in the decreasing of AR via ubiquitination, with the subsequent degradation predominantly occurring during M phase. PC-1 was also found to repress AR transcriptional activity in androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells and attenuate the growth inhibition of AR. In conclusion, these findings should provide new clues regarding the modulation of AR turnover and activity via PC-1 and reveals an essential role of PC-1 in AR signaling.

Protein–Protein Interactions Modulate the Docking-Dependent E3-Ubiquitin Ligase Activity of Carboxy-Terminus of Hsc70-Interacting Protein (CHIP)*

CHIP is a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain protein that functions as an E3-ubiquitin ligase. As well as linking the molecular chaperones to the ubiquitin proteasome system, CHIP also has a docking-dependent mode where it ubiquitinates native substrates, thereby regulating their steady state levels and/or function. Here we explore the effect of Hsp70 on the docking-dependent E3-ligase activity of CHIP. The TPR-domain is revealed as a binding site for allosteric modulators involved in determining CHIP's dynamic conformation and activity. Biochemical, biophysical and modeling evidence demonstrate that Hsp70-binding to the TPR, or Hsp70-mimetic mutations, regulate CHIP-mediated ubiquitination of p53 and IRF-1 through effects on U-box activity and substrate binding. HDX-MS was used to establish that conformational-inhibition-signals extended from the TPR-domain to the U-box. This underscores inter-domain allosteric regulation of CHIP by the core molecular chaperones. Defining the chaperone-associated TPR-domain of CHIP as a manager of inter-domain communication highlights the potential for scaffolding modules to regulate, as well as assemble, complexes that are fundamental to protein homeostatic control.

Regulation of autophagic flux by CHIP.

Autophagy is a major degradation system which processes substrates through the steps of autophagosome formation, autophagosome-lysosome fusion, and substrate degradation. Aberrant autophagic flux is present in many pathological conditions including neurodegeneration and tumors. CHIP/STUB1, an E3 ligase, plays an important role in neurodegeneration. In this study, we identified the regulation of autophagic flux by CHIP (carboxy-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein). Knockdown of CHIP induced autophagosome formation through increasing the PTEN protein level and decreasing the AKT/mTOR activity as well as decreasing phosphorylation of ULK1 on Ser757. However, degradation of the autophagic substrate p62 was disturbed by knockdown of CHIP, suggesting an abnormality of autophagic flux. Furthermore, knockdown of CHIP increased the susceptibility of cells to autophagic cell death induced by bafilomycin A1. Thus, our data suggest that CHIP plays roles in the regulation of autophagic flux.

Expression and significance of CHIP in canine mammary gland tumors.

CHIP (Carboxy terminus of Hsc70 Interacting Protein) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that can induce ubiquitination and degradation of several oncogenic proteins. The expression of CHIP is frequently lower in human breast cancer than in normal breast tissue. However, the expression and role of CHIP in the canine mammary gland tumor (CMGT) remain unclear. We investigated the potential correlation between CHIP expression and mammary gland tumor prognosis in female dogs. CHIP expression was measured in 54 dogs by immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR. CHIP protein expression was significantly correlated with the histopathological diagnosis, outcome of disease and tumor classification. The transcriptional level of CHIP was significantly higher in normal tissues (P=0.001) and benign tumors (P=0.009) than it in malignant tumors. CHIP protein expression was significantly correlated with the transcriptional level of CHIP (P=0.0102). The log-rank test survival curves indicated that patients with low expression of CHIP had shorter overall periods of survival than those with higher CHIP protein expression (P=0.050). Our data suggest that CHIP may play an important role in the formation and development of CMGTs and serve as a valuable prognostic marker and potential target for genetic therapy.

The E3 ligase CHIP: insights into its structure and regulation.

The carboxy-terminus of Hsc70 interacting protein (CHIP) is a cochaperone E3 ligase containing three tandem repeats of tetratricopeptide (TPR) motifs and a C-terminal U-box domain separated by a charged coiled-coil region. CHIP is known to function as a central quality control E3 ligase and regulates several proteins involved in a myriad of physiological and pathological processes. Recent studies have highlighted varied regulatory mechanisms operating on the activity of CHIP which is crucial for cellular homeostasis. In this review article, we give a concise account of our current knowledge on the biochemistry and regulation of CHIP.

Brain distribution of carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) and its nuclear translocation in cultured cortical neurons following heat stress or oxygen–glucose deprivation

Brain distribution of carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) and its nuclear translocation in cultured cortical neurons following heat stress or oxygen–glucose deprivation

Heat Shock Protein Cognate 70-4 and an E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, CHIP, Mediate Plastid-Destined Precursor Degradation through the Ubiquitin-26S Proteasome System inArabidopsis

Plastid-targeted proteins pass through the cytosol as unfolded precursors. If proteins accumulate in the cytosol, they can form nonspecific aggregates that cause severe cellular damage. Here, we demonstrate that high levels of plastid precursors are degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in Arabidopsis thaliana cells. The cytosolic heat shock protein cognate 70-4 (Hsc70-4) and E3 ligase carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) were highly induced in plastid protein import2 plants, which had a T-DNA insertion at Toc159 and showed an albino phenotype and a severe defect in protein import into chloroplasts. Hsc70-4 and CHIP together mediated plastid precursor degradation when import-defective chloroplast-targeted reporter proteins were transiently expressed in protoplasts. Hsc70-4 recognized specific sequence motifs in transit peptides and thereby led to precursor degradation through the UPS. CHIP, which interacted with Hsc70-4, functioned as an E3 ligase in the Hsc70-4-mediated protein degradation. The physiological role of Hsc70-4 was confirmed by analyzing Hsc70-4 RNA interference plants in an hsc70-1 mutant background. Plants with lower Hsc70 levels exhibited abnormal embryogenesis, resulting in defective seedlings that displayed high levels of reactive oxygen species and monoubiquitinated Lhcb4 precursors. We propose that Hsc70-4 and CHIP mediate plastid-destined precursor degradation to prevent cytosolic precursor accumulation and thereby play a critical role in embryogenesis.

Brain distribution of carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) and its nuclear translocation in cultured cortical neurons following heat stress or oxygen–glucose deprivation

Carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) is thought to be a cytoprotective protein with protein quality control roles in neurodegenerative diseases and myocardial ischemia. This study describes the localization of CHIP expression in normal rodent brain and the early CHIP response in primary cultures of cortical neurons following ischemic stress models: heat stress (HS) and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). CHIP was highly expressed throughout the brain, predominantly in neurons. The staining pattern was primarily cytoplasmic, although small amounts were seen in the nucleus. More intense nuclear staining was observed in primary cultured neurons which increased with stress. Nuclear accumulation of CHIP occurred within 5-10 min of HS and decreased to baseline levels or lower by 30-60 min. Decrease in nuclear CHIP at 30-60 min of HS was associated with a sharp increase in delayed cell death. While no changes in cytoplasmic CHIP were observed immediately following OGD, nuclear levels of CHIP increased slightly in response to OGD durations of 30 to 240 min. OGD-induced increases in nuclear CHIP decreased slowly during post-ischemic recovery. Nuclear CHIP decreased earlier in recovery following 120 min of OGD (4 h) than 30 min of OGD (12 h). Significant cell death first appeared between 12 and 24 h after OGD, again suggesting that delayed cell death follows closely behind the disappearance of nuclear CHIP. The ability of CHIP to translocate to and accumulate in the nucleus may be a limiting variable that determines how effectively cells respond to external stressors to facilitate cell survival. Using primary neuronal cell cultures, we were able to demonstrate rapid translocation of CHIP to the nucleus within minutes of heat stress and oxygen-glucose deprivation. An inverse relationship between nuclear CHIP and delayed cell death at 24 h suggests that the decrease in nuclear CHIP following extreme stress is linked to delayed cell death. Our findings of acute changes in subcellular localization of CHIP in response to cellular stress suggest that cellular changes that occur shortly after exposure to stress ultimately impact on the capacity and capability of a cell to recover and survive.

Functional interaction of DYX1C1 with estrogen receptors suggests involvement of hormonal pathways in dyslexia

Dyslexia, or specific reading disability, is the unexpected failure in learning to read and write when intelligence and senses are normal. One of the susceptibility genes, DYX1C1, has been implicated in neuronal migration, but little is known about its interactions and functions. As DYX1C1 was suggested to interact with the U-box protein CHIP (carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein), which also participates in the degradation of estrogen receptors alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERbeta), we hypothesized that the effects of DYX1C1 might be at least in part mediated through the regulation of ERs. ERs have shown to be important in brain development and cognitive functions. Indeed, we show that DYX1C1 interacts with both ERs in the presence of 17beta-estradiol, as determined by co-localization, co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assays. Protein levels of endogenous ERalpha or exogenous ERbeta were reduced upon over-expression of DYX1C1, resulting in decreased transcriptional responses to 17beta-estradiol. Furthermore, we detected in vivo complexes of DYX1C1 with ERalpha or ERbeta at endogenous levels along neurites of primary rat hippocampal neurons. Taken together, our data suggest that DYX1C1 is involved in the regulation of ERalpha and ERbeta, and may thus affect the brain development and regulate cognitive functions. These findings provide novel insights into the function of DYX1C1 and link neuronal migration and developmental dyslexia to the estrogen-signaling effects in the brain.

CHIP deletion reveals functional redundancy of E3 ligases in promoting degradation of both signaling proteins and expanded glutamine proteins

CHIP (carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein) an E3 ubiquitin ligase that binds to Hsp70 and Hsp90, promotes degradation of several Hsp90-regulated signaling proteins and disease-causing proteins containing expanded glutamine tracts. In polyglutamine disease models, CHIP has been considered a primary protection factor by promoting degradation of these misfolded proteins. Here, we show that two CHIP substrates, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a classic Hsp90-regulated signaling protein, and the expanded glutamine androgen receptor (AR112Q), are degraded at the same rate in CHIP(-/-) and CHIP(+/+) mouse embryonic fibroblasts after treatment with the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin. CHIP(-/-) cytosol has the same ability as CHIP(+/+) cytosol to ubiquitinate purified neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), another established CHIP substrate. To determine whether other E3 ubiquitin ligases that bind to Hsp70 (Parkin) or Hsp90 (Mdm2) act on CHIP substrates, each E3 ligase was co-expressed with the GR, nNOS, AR112Q or Q78 ataxin-3. CHIP lowered the levels of all four proteins, Parkin acted on nNOS and Q78 ataxin-3 but not on the steroid receptors, and Mdm2 did not affect any of the co-expressed proteins. Moreover, both CHIP and Parkin co-localized to aggregates of the expanded glutamine AR formed in cell culture and in a knock-in mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. These observations establish that CHIP does not play an exclusive role in regulating the turnover of Hsp90 client signaling proteins or expanded glutamine tract proteins, and show that the Hsp70-dependent E3 ligase Parkin acts redundantly to CHIP on some substrates.

Estrogen Receptor-α Hinge-Region Lysines 302 and 303 Regulate Receptor Degradation by the Proteasome

Cellular levels of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) protein are regulated primarily by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Dynamic interactions between ERalpha and the protein degradation machinery facilitate the down-regulation process by targeting receptor lysine residues for polyubiquitination. To date, the lysines that control receptor degradation have not been identified. Two receptor lysines, K302 and K303, located in the hinge-region of ERalpha, serve multiple regulatory functions, and we examined whether these might also regulate receptor polyubiquitination, turnover, and receptor-protein interactions. We used ERalpha-negative breast cancer C4-12 cells to generate cells stably expressing wild-type (wt)ERalpha or ERalpha with lysine-to-alanine substitutions at K302 and K303 (ERalpha-AA). In the unliganded state, ERalpha-AA displayed rapid polyubiquitination and enhanced basal turnover, as compared with wtERalpha, due to its elevated association with the ubiquitin ligase carboxy terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) and the proteasome-associated cochaperone Bag1. Treatment of C4-12 cells with either 17beta-estradiol (E2) or the pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 (ICI) induced rapid degradation of wtERalpha via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway; however, in the presence of these ligands, ERalpha-AA was less efficiently degraded. Furthermore, ERalpha-AA was resistant to ICI-induced polyubiquitination, suggesting that these lysines are polyubiquitinated in response to the antiestrogen and demonstrate a novel role for these two lysines in the mechanism of action of ICI-induced receptor down-regulation. The reduced stability of ERalpha-AA in the unliganded state and the increased stability of ERalpha-AA in the liganded state were concordant with reporter gene assays demonstrating that ERalpha-AA has lower basal activity but higher E2 inducibility than wtERalpha. These data provide the first evidence that K302/303 protect ERalpha from basal degradation and are necessary for efficient E2- and ICI-induced turnover in breast cancer cells.