Abstract
Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) leading to the formation of intracellular protein aggregates cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a selective degeneration of motor neurons. The ALS-linked mutant SOD1 emerged as a possible target for ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS)-mediated degradation. We aimed to elucidate the role of huntingtin interaction protein 2 (HIP2), an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, in the proteotoxicity of mutant SOD1 aggregates. We found that HIP2 interacts with mutant SOD1, but not wild-type SOD1, and is upregulated in response to mutant SOD1 expression. Upregulation of HIP2 protein was observed in the spinal cord of 16-week-old SOD1-G93A transgenic mice. HIP2 further modified mutant SOD1 proteins via K48-linked polyubiquitination and degraded mutant SOD1 proteins through the UPS. Upregulation of HIP2 protected cells from mutant SOD1-induced toxicity. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that HIP2 is a crucial regulator of quality control against the proteotoxicity of mutant SOD1. Our results suggest that modulating HIP2 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ALS.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 166316 |
Journal | Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease |
Volume | 1868 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 Feb 1 |
Keywords
- ALS
- HIP2
- Protein aggregates
- Proteotoxicity
- SOD1
- UPS
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Medicine
- Molecular Biology