UBLCP1 Knockout Cell Lysate

The fundamental importance of the 26S proteasome in health and disease suggests that its function must be finely controlled, and yet our knowledge about proteasome regulation remains limited. Posttranslational modifications, especially phosphorylation, of proteasome subunits have been shown to impact proteasome function through different mechanisms, although the vast majority of proteasome phosphorylation events have not been studied. Here, we have characterized 1 of the most frequently detected proteasome phosphosites, namely SerS61 of Rpn1, a base subunit of the 19S regulatory particle. Using a variety of approaches including CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing and quantitative mass spectrometry, we found that loss of Rpn1-S361 phosphorylation reduces proteasome activity, impairs cell proliferation, and causes oxidative stress as well as mitochondria! dysfunction. A screen of the human kinome identified several kinases including PIM1/2/3 that catalyze S361 phosphorylation, while its level is reversibly controlled by the proteasome-resident phosphatase, UBLCP1. Mechanistically, Rpn1-S361 phosphorylation is required for proper assembly of the 26S proteasome, and we have utilized a genetic code expansion system to directly demonstrate that S361-phosphorylated Rpn1 more readily forms a precursor complex with Rpt2, 1 of the first steps of 19S base assembly. These findings have revealed a prevalent and biologically important mechanism governing proteasome formation and function.

RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain phosphatase 1 containing ubiquitin like domain (UBLCP1) has been identified as a regulatory molecule of RNA polymerase II. UBLCP1 consists of ubiquitin like domain (UBL) and phosphatase domain homologous with UDP and CTD phosphatase. UBLCP1 was cloned into the E. coli express ion vectors, pET32a and pGEX 4T-1 with TEV protease cleavage site and purified using both affinity and gel-filtration chromatography. Domains of UBLCP1 protein were successfully purified as 7 mg/500 mL (UBLCP1, 36.78 KDa), 32 mg/500 mL (UBL, 9 KDa) and 8 mg/500 mL (phosphatase domain, 25 KDa) yielded in LB medium, respectively. Isotope-labeled samples including triple-labeled (H-2/N-15/C-13) UBLCP1 were also prepared for hetero-nuclear NMR experiments. N-15-H-1 2D-HSQC spectra of UBLCP1 suggest that both UBL and phosphatase domain are properly folded and structurally independent each other. These data will promise us further structural investigation of UBLCP1 by NMR spectroscopy and/or X-ray crystallography.