Lys29-linkage of ASK1 by Skp1−Cullin 1−Fbxo21 ubiquitin ligase complex is required for antiviral innate response

  1. Zhou Yu
  2. Taoyong Chen  Is a corresponding author
  3. Xuelian Li
  4. Mingjin Yang
  5. Songqing Tang
  6. Xuhui Zhu
  7. Yan Gu
  8. Xiaoping Su
  9. Meng Xia
  10. Weihua Li
  11. Xuemin Zhang
  12. Qingqing Wang
  13. Xuetao Cao
  14. Jianli Wang
  1. Institute of Immunology, China
  2. National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, China
  3. National Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology and Department of Immunology, China
  4. Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, China
  5. Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China

Abstract

Protein ubiquitination regulated by ubiquitin ligases plays important roles in innate immunity. However, key regulators of ubiquitination during innate response and roles of new types of ubiquitination (apart from Lys48- and Lys63-linkage) in control of innate signaling have not been clearly understood. Here we report that F-box only protein Fbxo21, a functionally unknown component of SCF (Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein) complex, facilitates Lys29-linkage and activation of ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1), and promotes type I interferon production upon viral infection. Fbxo21 deficiency in mice cells impairs virus-induced Lys29-linkage and activation of ASK1, attenuates c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 signaling pathway, and decreases the production of proinflammatory cytokines and type I interferon, resulting in reduced antiviral innate response and enhanced virus replication. Therefore Fbxo21 is required for ASK1 activation via Lys29-linkage of ASK1 during antiviral innate response, providing mechanistic insights into non-proteolytic roles of SCF complex in innate immune response.

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Zhou Yu

    Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Hangzhou, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  2. Taoyong Chen

    Second Military Medical University, National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, Shanghai, China
    For correspondence
    chenty@immunol.org
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  3. Xuelian Li

    Second Military Medical University, National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, Shanghai, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  4. Mingjin Yang

    Second Military Medical University, National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, Shanghai, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  5. Songqing Tang

    Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Hangzhou, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  6. Xuhui Zhu

    Second Military Medical University, National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, Shanghai, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  7. Yan Gu

    Second Military Medical University, National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, Shanghai, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  8. Xiaoping Su

    Second Military Medical University, National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, Shanghai, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  9. Meng Xia

    Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology and Department of Immunology, Beijing, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  10. Weihua Li

    National Center of Biomedical Analysis, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  11. Xuemin Zhang

    National Center of Biomedical Analysis, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  12. Qingqing Wang

    Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Hangzhou, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  13. Xuetao Cao

    National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology and Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
    Competing interests
    Xuetao Cao, Reviewing editor, eLife.
  14. Jianli Wang

    Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Institute of Immunology, Hangzhou, China
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.

Ethics

Animal experimentation: This study was performed in strict accordance with the recommendations in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the National Institutes of Health, and was approved by the Scientific Investigation Board of Second Military Medical University, Shanghai (Case No. SMMU-2015-0067).

Copyright

© 2016, Yu et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

Metrics

  • 2,548
    views
  • 710
    downloads
  • 48
    citations

Views, downloads and citations are aggregated across all versions of this paper published by eLife.

Download links

A two-part list of links to download the article, or parts of the article, in various formats.

Downloads (link to download the article as PDF)

Open citations (links to open the citations from this article in various online reference manager services)

Cite this article (links to download the citations from this article in formats compatible with various reference manager tools)

  1. Zhou Yu
  2. Taoyong Chen
  3. Xuelian Li
  4. Mingjin Yang
  5. Songqing Tang
  6. Xuhui Zhu
  7. Yan Gu
  8. Xiaoping Su
  9. Meng Xia
  10. Weihua Li
  11. Xuemin Zhang
  12. Qingqing Wang
  13. Xuetao Cao
  14. Jianli Wang
(2016)
Lys29-linkage of ASK1 by Skp1−Cullin 1−Fbxo21 ubiquitin ligase complex is required for antiviral innate response
eLife 5:e14087.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14087

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14087

Further reading

    1. Immunology and Inflammation
    Josep Garnica, Patricia Sole ... Pere Santamaria
    Research Article

    Chronic antigenic stimulation can trigger the formation of interleukin 10 (IL-10)-producing T-regulatory type 1 (TR1) cells in vivo. We have recently shown that murine T-follicular helper (TFH) cells are precursors of TR1 cells and that the TFH-to-TR1 cell transdifferentiation process is characterized by the progressive loss and acquisition of opposing transcription factor gene expression programs that evolve through at least one transitional cell stage. Here, we use a broad range of bulk and single-cell transcriptional and epigenetic tools to investigate the epigenetic underpinnings of this process. At the single-cell level, the TFH-to-TR1 cell transition is accompanied by both, downregulation of TFH cell-specific gene expression due to loss of chromatin accessibility, and upregulation of TR1 cell-specific genes linked to chromatin regions that remain accessible throughout the transdifferentiation process, with minimal generation of new open chromatin regions. By interrogating the epigenetic status of accessible TR1 genes on purified TFH and conventional T-cells, we find that most of these genes, including Il10, are already poised for expression at the TFH cell stage. Whereas these genes are closed and hypermethylated in Tconv cells, they are accessible, hypomethylated, and enriched for H3K27ac-marked and hypomethylated active enhancers in TFH cells. These enhancers are enriched for binding sites for the TFH and TR1-associated transcription factors TOX-2, IRF4, and c-MAF. Together, these data suggest that the TR1 gene expression program is genetically imprinted at the TFH cell stage.

    1. Genetics and Genomics
    2. Immunology and Inflammation
    Stephanie Guillet, Tomi Lazarov ... Frédéric Geissmann
    Research Article

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, the pathophysiology and genetic basis of which are incompletely understood. Using a forward genetic screen in multiplex families with SLE, we identified an association between SLE and compound heterozygous deleterious variants in the non-receptor tyrosine kinases (NRTKs) ACK1 and BRK. Experimental blockade of ACK1 or BRK increased circulating autoantibodies in vivo in mice and exacerbated glomerular IgG deposits in an SLE mouse model. Mechanistically, NRTKs regulate activation, migration, and proliferation of immune cells. We found that the patients’ ACK1 and BRK variants impair efferocytosis, the MERTK-mediated anti-inflammatory response to apoptotic cells, in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived macrophages, which may contribute to SLE pathogenesis. Overall, our data suggest that ACK1 and BRK deficiencies are associated with human SLE and impair efferocytosis in macrophages.