USP7 regulates ALS-associated proteotoxicity and quality control through the NEDD4L–SMAD pathway

Abstract

Protein homeostasis is fundamental to the functioning of all living cells. Perturbation of the homeostasis, or proteotoxicity, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and related neurodegenerative diseases. To guard against proteotoxicity, cells have evolved sophisticated quality-control mechanisms that make adaptations including enhanced turnover of misfolded proteins. However, how the quality-control systems are coordinated through higher-order regulatory pathways is not fully understood. We have discovered a unique suppressor of proteotoxicity, the ubiquitin-specific protease USP7, whose action is conserved from invertebrate to mammalian systems and mediated by a substrate cascade involving NEDD4L and SMAD2. These findings reveal a previously unknown regulatory pathway for protein quality control and provide new strategies for developing interventions for neurodegenerative diseases.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Oct 26, 2020
Source ID
10.1073/pnas.2014349117

Entities

People

  • Goran Periz
  • Jiou Wang
  • Tao Zhang
  • Yu-Ning Lu

Organizations

  • ALS Association
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Muscular Dystrophy Association
  • National Institutes of Health
  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Immunology
  • Medical Imaging.
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics