RING-type E3 ligases: master manipulators of E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and ubiquitination.

RING finger domain and RING finger-like ubiquitin ligases (E3s), such as U-box proteins, constitute the vast majority of known E3s. RING-type E3s function together with ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) to mediate ubiquitination and are implicated in numerous cellular processes. In part because of their importance in human physiology and disease, these proteins and their cellular functions represent an intense area of study. Here we review recent advances in RING-type E3 recognition of substrates, their cellular regulation, and their varied architecture. Additionally, recent structural insights into RING-type E3 function, with a focus on important interactions with E2s and ubiquitin, are reviewed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Ubiquitin-Proteasome System. Guest Editors: Thomas Sommer and Dieter H. Wolf.

Metzger MB ，Pruneda JN ，Klevit RE ，Weissman AM ... -  《-》

Human proteome-scale structural modeling of E2-E3 interactions exploiting interface motifs.

Kar G ，Keskin O ，Nussinov R ，Gursoy A ... -  《-》

Classification and interaction modes of 40 rice E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes with 17 rice ARM-U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases.

Rice, a monocot model crop, contains at least 48 putative E2 ubiquitin (Ub)-conjugating enzymes. Based on homology comparisons with 40 Arabidopsis E2 proteins and 35 human E2s, 48 rice E2s were classified into 15 different groups. Yeast two-hybrid analyses using the U-box-domain regions of armadillo (ARM)-U-box E3 Ub-ligases and the Ub-conjugating (UBC) domains of E2s showed that, among 40 rice E2s, 11 E2s accounted for 70% of the interactions with 17 ARM-U-box E3s. Thus, a single E2 could interact with multiple ARM-U-box E3s, suggesting the presence of E2 hubs for E2-E3 interactions in rice. Rice SPL11 ARM-U-box E3 displayed distinct self-ubiquitination patterns, including poly-ubiquitination, mono-ubiquitination, or no ubiquitination, depending on different E2 partners. This suggests that the mode of ubiquitination of SPL11 E3 is critically influenced by individual E2s.

Bae H ，Kim WT 《-》

Dynamic interactions of proteins in complex networks: identifying the complete set of interacting E2s for functional investigation of E3-dependent protein ubiquitination.

Christensen DE ，Klevit RE 《-》

Structure of an E3:E2~Ub complex reveals an allosteric mechanism shared among RING/U-box ligases.

Despite the widespread importance of RING/U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases in ubiquitin (Ub) signaling, the mechanism by which this class of enzymes facilitates Ub transfer remains enigmatic. Here, we present a structural model for a RING/U-box E3:E2~Ub complex poised for Ub transfer. The model and additional analyses reveal that E3 binding biases dynamic E2~Ub ensembles toward closed conformations with enhanced reactivity for substrate lysines. We identify a key hydrogen bond between a highly conserved E3 side chain and an E2 backbone carbonyl, observed in all structures of active RING/U-Box E3/E2 pairs, as the linchpin for allosteric activation of E2~Ub. The conformational biasing mechanism is generalizable across diverse E2s and RING/U-box E3s, but is not shared by HECT-type E3s. The results provide a structural model for a RING/U-box E3:E2~Ub ligase complex and identify the long sought-after source of allostery for RING/U-Box activation of E2~Ub conjugates.

Pruneda JN ，Littlefield PJ ，Soss SE ，Nordquist KA ，Chazin WJ ，Brzovic PS ，Klevit RE ... -  《-》