Faculty Collaboration Database

Biochemical and structural characterization of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2W reveals the formation of a noncovalent homodimer. Cell Biochem Biophys 2013 Sep;67(1):103-10

Date

05/28/2013

Pubmed ID

23709311

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3758794

DOI

10.1007/s12013-013-9633-5

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84883447618 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   12 Citations

Abstract

The biochemical and structural characterization of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) over the past 30 years has fostered important insights into ubiquitin transfer mechanisms. Although many of these enzymes share high sequence and structural conservation, their functional roles in the cell are decidedly diverse. Here, we report that the mono-ubiquitinating E2 UBE2W forms a homodimer using two distinct protein surfaces. Dimerization is primarily driven by residues in the ß-sheet region and Loops 4 and 7 of the catalytic domain. Mutation of two residues in the catalytic domain of UBE2W is capable of disrupting UBE2W homodimer formation, however, we find that dimerization of this E2 is not required for its ubiquitin transfer activity. In addition, residues in the C-terminal region, although not compulsory for the dimerization of UBE2W, play an ancillary role in the dimer interface. In all current E2 structures, the C-terminal helix of the UBC domain is at least 15Å away from the primary dimerization surface shown here for UBE2W. This leads to the proposal that the C-terminal region of UBE2W adopts a noncanonical position that places it closer to the UBC ß-sheet, providing the first indication that at least some E2s adopt C-terminal conformations different from the canonical structures observed to date.

Author List

Vittal V, Wenzel DM, Brzovic PS, Klevit RE

Author

Dawn M. Wenzel PhD Assistant Professor in the Biochemistry department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Catalytic Domain
Dimerization
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Mutation
Protein Structure, Secondary
Recombinant Proteins
Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes