2015年5月12日訊 /生物谷BIOON/ --近日,來自美國的科學家在國際學術期刊cell death&differentiation在線發表了一項最新研究進展,他們發現ufm1連接系統的E3連接酶RCAD/Ufl1對於調節造血幹細胞功能及小鼠造血發育具有重要調控作用。
Ufm1(ubiquitin-fold modifier1)連接系統是一種新的類泛素修飾系統,與其他的一些類泛素修飾系統具有類似的生化特徵。Ufm1途徑通過特異性的E1(uba5),E2(ufc1),E3三種酶催化介導對靶蛋白對修飾,但關於E3連接酶的研究一直較少。
之前有研究報導稱RCAD/Ufl1具有ufm1 E3連接酶功能,能夠介導對DDRGK1和ASC1的類泛素化修飾(ufmylation),並且RCAD/Ufl1在雌激素受體途徑,未摺疊蛋白應答(UPR)以及神經退行性病變過程中具有重要作用。
在該項研究中,研究人員發現RCAD/Ufl1除具有上述功能外,其對於胚胎發育,造血幹細胞存活以及紅細胞分化都具有至關重要的作用。研究人員發現在生殖細胞和體細胞中刪除RCAD/Ufl1都會損傷造血發育過程,導致嚴重的貧血,血細胞減少,最終可導致動物死亡。同時,刪除RCAD/Ufl1還會引起內質網應激,誘發骨髓細胞未摺疊蛋白應答反應(UPR)。除此之外,RCAD/Ufl1缺失會阻斷自噬介導的降解過程,增加線粒體含量和ROS積累,導致DNA損傷,激活p53並促進造血幹細胞死亡。
總的來說,這項研究首次為 RCAD/Ufl1在小鼠造血發育方面發揮的重要功能提供了基因證據,表明RCAD/Ufl1是細胞應激反應過程中的關鍵調控因子,對於調節細胞內穩態平衡,形成新的蛋白調控網絡具有重要意義。(生物谷Bioon.com)
RCAD/Ufl1, a Ufm1 E3 ligase, is essential for hematopoietic stem cell function and murine hematopoiesis
M Zhang, X Zhu, Y Zhang, Y Cai, J Chen, S Sivaprakasam, A Gurav, W Pi, L Makala, J Wu, B Pace, D Tuan-Lo, V Ganapathy, N Singh and H Li
The Ufm1 conjugation system is a novel ubiquitin-like modification system, consisting of Ufm1, Uba5 (E1), Ufc1 (E2) and poorly characterized E3 ligase(s). RCAD/Ufl1 (also known as KIAA0776, NLBP and Maxer) was reported to function as a Ufm1 E3 ligase in ufmylation (Ufm1-mediated conjugation) of DDRGK1 and ASC1 proteins. It has also been implicated in estrogen receptor signaling, unfolded protein response (UPR) and neurodegeneration, yet its physiological function remains completely unknown. In this study, we report that RCAD/Ufl1 is essential for embryonic development, hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) survival and erythroid differentiation. Both germ-line and somatic deletion of RCAD/Ufl1 impaired hematopoietic development, resulting in severe anemia, cytopenia and ultimately animal death. Depletion of RCAD/Ufl1 caused elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress and evoked UPR in bone marrow cells. In addition, loss of RCAD/Ufl1 blocked autophagic degradation, increased mitochondrial mass and reactive oxygen species, and led to DNA damage response, p53 activation and enhanced cell death of HSCs. Collectively, our study provides the first genetic evidence for the indispensable role of RCAD/Ufl1 in murine hematopoiesis and development. The finding of RCAD/Ufl1 as a key regulator of cellular stress response sheds a light into the role of a novel protein network including RCAD/Ufl1 and its associated proteins in regulating cellular homeostasis.