title: Cdc34 self-association is facilitated by ubiquitin thiolester formation and is required for its catalytic activity.
abstract: Using a coimmunoprecipitation strategy, we showed that the Cdc34 ubiquitin (Ub)-conjugating enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae self-associates in cell lysates, thereby indicating an in vivo interaction. The ability of Cdc34 to interact with itself is not dependent on its association with the ubiquitin ligase Skp1-Cdc53/Cul1-Hrt1-F-box complex. Rather, this interaction depends upon the integrity of the Cdc34-Ub thiolester. Furthermore, several principal determinants within the Cdc34 catalytic domain, including the active-site cysteine, amino acid residues S73 and S97, and its catalytic domain insertion, also play a role in self-association. Mutational studies have shown that these determinants are functionally important in vivo and operate at the levels of both Cdc34-Ub thiolester formation and Cdc34-mediated multi-Ub chain assembly. These determinants are spatially situated in a region that is close to the active site, corresponding closely to the previously identified E2-Ub interface. These observations indicate that the formation of the Cdc34-Ub thiolester is important for Cdc34 self-association and that the interaction of Cdc34-Ub thiolesters is in turn a prerequisite for both multi-Ub chain assembly and Cdc34's essential function(s). A conclusion from these findings is that the placement of ubiquitin on the Cdc34 surface is a structurally important feature of Cdc34's function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Xaralabos
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Varelas
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ptak
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ellison
mesh_terms: D064173:Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome; D001665:Binding Sites; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004952:Esters / Q000737:chemistry; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008025:Ligases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011485:Protein Binding; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D013696:Temperature; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D044763:Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes; D043743:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004952:Esters; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin; C577449:CDC34 protein, S cerevisiae; D044763:Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes; D043743:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes; D064173:Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome; D008025:Ligases; D003545:Cysteine