E6AP, an E3 ubiquitin ligase negatively regulates granulopoiesis by targeting transcription factor C/EBP? for ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation.

ABSTRACT: CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBP?) is an important transcription factor involved in granulocytic differentiation. Here, for the first time we demonstrate that E6-associated protein (E6AP), an E3 ubiquitin ligase targets C/EBP? for ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation and thereby negatively modulates its functions. Wild-type E6AP promotes ubiquitin dependent proteasome degradation of C/EBP?, while catalytically inactive E6-associated protein having cysteine replaced with alanine at amino-acid position 843 (E6AP-C843A) rather stabilizes it. Further, these two proteins physically associate both in non-myeloid (overexpressed human embryonic kidney epithelium) and myeloid cells. We show that E6AP-mediated degradation of C/EBP? protein expression curtails its transactivation potential on its target genes. Noticeably, E6AP degrades both wild-type 42?kDa CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein alpha (p42C/EBP?) and mutant isoform 30?kDa CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein alpha (p30C/EBP?), this may explain perturbed p42C/EBP?/p30C/EBP? ratio often observed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We show that overexpression of catalytically inactive E6AP-C843A in C/EBP? inducible K562- p42C/EBP?-estrogen receptor (ER) cells inhibits ?-estradiol (E2)-induced C/EBP? degradation leading to enhanced granulocytic differentiation. This enhanced granulocytic differentiation upon E2-induced activation of C/EBP? in C/EBP? stably transfected cells (?-estradiol inducible K562 cells stably expressing p42C/EBP?-ER (K562-C/EBP?-p42-ER)) was further substantiated by siE6AP-mediated knockdown of E6AP in both K562-C/EBP?-p42-ER and 32dcl3 (32D clone 3, a cell line widely used model for in vitro study of hematopoietic cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis) cells. Taken together, our data suggest that E6AP targeted C/EBP? protein degradation may provide a possible explanation for both loss of expression and/or functional inactivation of C/EBP? often experienced in myeloid leukemia.

SUBMITTER: Pal P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3641343 | biostudies-other | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other