Ubiquitin (Ub) conjugation is a critical signalling process in eukaryotic cells. The precise regulation of deubiquitination is an important component of this signalling cascade. Here, we discuss how USP7 (or Herpes-Associated Ubiquitin-Specific Protease, HAUSP), one of the most abundant deubiquitinating enzymes, is regulated by complex formation with regulatory proteins and targets. Full activity of USP7 requires that its C-terminal Ub-like domains fold back onto the catalytic domain, to allow the remodelling of the active site to a catalytically competent state by the very C-terminal peptide. This regulatory mode can be modulated by complex formation with other proteins. USP7 is found in a large number of relatively stable complexes with different possible functions. Complex formation can provide recruitment of a target, bring in an E3 Ub ligase, or modulate the activation of the deubiquitinating enzyme activity. These complexes make up potential cellular "switches", using their (de)ubiquitination ability to switch pathways on or off upon cellular signals. Here, we summarize what is known for USP7 complexes, focussing on the prevalence of E3 Ub ligases and how complex formation can affect Ub switches.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2017.05.028 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
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Laboratory of Crystallographic Studies, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científica, Armilla 18100, Spain.
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January 2025
Institute of Science and Technology Austria, AT-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
Biophysical constraints limit the specificity with which transcription factors (TFs) can target regulatory DNA. While individual nontarget binding events may be low affinity, the sheer number of such interactions could present a challenge for gene regulation by degrading its precision or possibly leading to an erroneous induction state. Chromatin can prevent nontarget binding by rendering DNA physically inaccessible to TFs, at the cost of energy-consuming remodeling orchestrated by pioneer factors (PFs).
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Department of Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.
Seeds are complex structures composed of three regions, embryo, endosperm, and seed coat, with each further divided into subregions that consist of tissues, cell layers, and cell types. Although the seed is well characterized anatomically, much less is known about the genetic circuitry that dictates its spatial complexity. To address this issue, we profiled mRNAs from anatomically distinct seed subregions at several developmental stages.
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January 2025
Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Upwelling Ecosystem, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China.
Rotation of the bacterial flagellum, the first identified biological rotary machine, is driven by its stator units. Knowledge gained about the function of stator units has increasingly led to studies of rotary complexes in different cellular pathways. Here, we report that a tetrameric PilZ family protein, FlgX, is a structural component underneath the stator units in the flagellar motor of .
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Center for Nutritional Sciences, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
Documented worldwide, impaired immunity is a cardinal signature resulting from loss of dietary zinc, an essential micronutrient. A steady supply of zinc to meet cellular requirements is regulated by an array of zinc transporters. Deletion of the transporter Zip14 (Slc39a14) in mice produced intestinal inflammation.
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