PMID: 28581483

Authors:

Scott DC, Hammill JT, Min J, Rhee DY, Connelly M, Sviderskiy VO, Bhasin D, Chen Y, Ong SS, Chai SC, Goktug AN, Huang G, Monda JK, Low J, Kim HS, Paulo JA, Cannon JR, Shelat AA, Chen T, Kelsall IR, Alpi AF, Pagala V, Wang X, Peng J, Singh B, Harper JW, Schulman BA, Guy RK

Title:

Blocking an N-terminal acetylation-dependent protein interaction inhibits an E3 ligase.

Journal:

Nat Chem Biol. 2017 Jun 5. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.2386.

Abstract:

N-terminal acetylation is an abundant modification influencing protein functions. Because approximately 80% of mammalian cytosolic proteins are N-terminally acetylated, this modification is potentially an untapped target for chemical control of their functions. Structural studies have revealed that, like lysine acetylation, N-terminal acetylation converts a positively charged amine into a hydrophobic handle that mediates protein interactions; hence, this modification may be a druggable target. We report the development of chemical probes targeting the N-terminal acetylation-dependent interaction between an E2 conjugating enzyme (UBE2M or UBC12) and DCN1 (DCUN1D1), a subunit of a multiprotein E3 ligase for the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8. The inhibitors are highly selective with respect to other protein acetyl-amide-binding sites, inhibit NEDD8 ligation in vitro and in cells, and suppress anchorage-independent growth of a cell line with DCN1 amplification. Overall, our data demonstrate that N-terminal acetyl-dependent protein interactions are druggable targets and provide insights into targeting multiprotein E2-E3 ligases.