title: Proteasome-dependent degradation of alpha-catenin is regulated by interaction with ARMc8alpha.
abstract: ARMc8 (armadillo-repeat-containing protein 8) is a key component of the CTLH (C-terminal to lissencephaly type-1-like homology motif) complex in mammalian cells. This complex is well conserved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and has been characterized as a FBPase (fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase)-degrading complex. The yeast homologue of ARMc8, Gid (glucose-induced degradation) 5p, plays an essential role in the ubiquitin- and proteasome-dependent degradation of FBPase. To elucidate the function of ARMc8, we used a yeast two-hybrid system to screen a human skeletal muscle cDNA library. alpha-Catenin was isolated as a binding protein of ARMc8alpha. This association was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assay using MDCK (Madin-Darby canine kidney) cells in which exogenous alpha-catenin and ARMc8alpha were overexpressed. The association was also confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assay using endogenous proteins in untransfected MDCK cells. We then used immunofluorescence microscopy of MDCK cells and C2C12 cells to investigate the intracellular distribution of ARMc8. Exogenously expressed ARMc8 was co-localized with alpha-catenin and beta-catenin along the cell membrane, suggesting an association between alpha-catenin and ARMc8 in the cells. To compare the binding domain of alpha-catenin with ARMc8alpha with that of beta-catenin, we performed a co-immunoprecipitation assay, again using 5'- and 3'-deletion constructs of alpha-catenin. The N-terminal sequence (amino acids 82-148) of alpha-catenin was sufficient to bind to both ARMc8alpha and beta-catenin. Next, we investigated the proteasome-dependent degradation of alpha-catenin by immunoblotting using proteasome inhibitors. Co-expression of ARMc8alpha with alpha-catenin resulted in rapid degradation of the exogenous alpha-catenin. Furthermore, ARMc8 knockdown inhibited alpha-catenin degradation and prolonged the half-life of alpha-catenin. We conclude that ARMc8alpha associates with alpha-catenin and up-regulates its degradation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Atsuhisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomaru
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeno
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishigatsubo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051178:alpha Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D025801:Ubiquitin; D051178:alpha Catenin; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex