p97/UBXD1 Generate Ubiquitylated Proteins That Are Sequestered into Nuclear Envelope Herniations in Torsin-Deficient Cells

Abstract

DYT1 dystonia is a debilitating neurological movement disorder that arises upon Torsin ATPase deficiency. Nuclear envelope (NE) blebs that contain FG-nucleoporins (FG-Nups) and K48-linked ubiquitin are the hallmark phenotype of Torsin manipulation across disease models of DYT1 dystonia. While the aberrant deposition of FG-Nups is caused by defective nuclear pore complex assembly, the source of K48-ubiquitylated proteins inside NE blebs is not known. Here, we demonstrate that the characteristic K48-ubiquitin accumulation inside blebs requires p97 activity. This activity is highly dependent on the p97 adaptor UBXD1. We show that p97 does not significantly depend on the Ufd1/Npl4 heterodimer to generate the K48-ubiquitylated proteins inside blebs, nor does inhibiting translation affect the ubiquitin sequestration in blebs. However, stimulating global ubiquitylation by heat shock greatly increases the amount of K48-ubiquitin sequestered inside blebs. These results suggest that blebs have an extraordinarily high capacity for sequestering ubiquitylated protein generated in a p97-dependent manner. The p97/UBXD1 axis is thus a major factor contributing to cellular DYT1 dystonia pathology and its modulation represents an unexplored potential for therapeutic development.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Apr 21, 2022
Source ID
10.3390/ijms23094627

Entities

People

  • Brigitte S. Naughton
  • Christian Schlieker
  • Sarah Prophet

Organizations

  • Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Readers

  • Gulf War Illness and Chronic Multisymptom Illness in Veterans.
  • Immunology
  • Immunology and Pathology