F-box proteins: the key to protein degradation

J Biomed Sci. 2006 Mar;13(2):181-91. doi: 10.1007/s11373-005-9058-2.

Abstract

The eukaryotic protein degradation pathway involves the ubiquitin (Ub) modification of substrates targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome. The addition of Ub, a process called ubiquitination, is mediated by enzymes including the E3 Ub ligases which transfer the Ub to targeted substrates. A major type of E3 Ub ligases, the SCF (Skp-Cullin-F-box) complex, is composed of four major components: Skp1, Cul1/Cdc53, Roc1/Rbx1/Hrt1, and an F-box protein. The F-box component of the SCF machineries is responsible for recognizing different substrates for ubiquitination. Interaction with components of the SCF complex is mediated through the F-box motif of the F-box protein while it associates with phosphorylated substrates through its second protein-protein interaction motif such as Trp-Asp (WD) repeats or leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). By targeting diverse substrates, F-box proteins exert controls over stability of proteins and regulate the mechanisms for a wide-range of cellular processes. Here we discuss the importance of F-box proteins by providing a general overview and examples of how F-box proteins function in various cellular settings such as tissue development, cell proliferation, and cell death, in the modeling organism Drosophila.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • F-Box Proteins / physiology*
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • F-Box Proteins
  • Proteins
  • Ubiquitin
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases