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The X-linked intellectual disability gene product and E3 ubiquitin ligase KLHL15 degrades  doublecortin proteins to constrain neuronal dendritogenesis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The X-linked intellectual disability gene product and E3 ubiquitin ligase KLHL15 degrades  doublecortin proteins to constrain neuronal dendritogenesis

Jianing Song, Ronald A Merrill, Andrew Y Usachev and Stefan Strack
The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol.296, p.100082
11/16/2020
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA120.016210
PMCID: PMC7948412
PMID: 33199366
url
https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA120.016210View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Proper brain development and function requires finely controlled mechanisms for protein turnover and disruption of genes involved in proteostasis is a common cause of neurodevelopmental disorders. Kelch-like 15 (KLHL15) is a substrate adaptor for cullin3 (Cul3)-containing E3 ubiquitin ligases and KLHL15 gene mutations were recently described as a cause of severe X-linked intellectual disability (XLID). Here, we used a bioinformatics approach to identify a family of neuronal microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) as KLHL15 substrates, which are themselves critical for early brain development. We biochemically validated doublecortin (DCX), also an X-linked disease protein, and doublecortin-like kinase 1 and 2 (DCLK1/2) as bona fide KLHL15 interactors and mapped KLHL15 interaction regions to their tandem DCX domains. Shared with two previously identified KLHL15 substrates, a FRY tripeptide at the C-terminal edge of the second DCX domain is necessary for KLHL15-mediated ubiquitination of DCX and DCLK1/2 and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Conversely, silencing endogenous KLHL15 markedly stabilizes these DCX domain-containing proteins and prolongs their half-life. Functionally, overexpression of KLHL15 in the presence of wild-type DCX reduces dendritic complexity of cultured hippocampal neurons, whereas neurons expressing FRY-mutant DCX are resistant to KLHL15. Collectively, our findings highlight the critical importance of the E3 ubiquitin ligase adaptor KLHL15 in proteostasis of neuronal MAPs and identify a regulatory network important for development of the mammalian nervous system.
microtubule-associated protein (MAP) ubiquitin ligase doublecortin proteins dendritic complexity ubiquitin HaloTag protein turnover pulse-chase ubiquitin-proteasome-system neurodevelopment cell signaling E3 ubiquitin ligase neurite outgrowth protein degradation

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