Mastermind-Like 1 Is Ubiquitinated: Functional Consequences for Notch Signaling

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 30;10(7):e0134013. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134013. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Early studies demonstrated the involvement of ubiquitination of the Notch intracellular domain for rapid turnover of the transcriptional complex at Notch target genes. It was shown that this ubiquitination was promoted by the co-activator Mastermind like 1 (MAML1). MAML1 also contains numerous lysine residues that may also be ubiquitinated and necessary for protein regulation. In this study, we show that over-expressed MAML1 is ubiquitinated and identify eight conserved lysine residues which are required for ubiquitination. We also show that p300 stimulates ubiquitination and that Notch inhibits ubiquitination. Furthermore, we show that a mutant MAML1 that has decreased ubiquitination shows increased output from a HES1 reporter gene assay. Therefore, we speculate that ubiquitination of MAML1 might be a mechanism to maintain low levels of the protein until needed for transcriptional activation. In summary, this study identifies that MAML1 is ubiquitinated in the absence of Notch signaling to maintain low levels of MAML1 in the cell. Our data supports the notion that a precise and tight regulation of the Notch pathway is required for this signaling pathway.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Genes, Reporter
  • HeLa Cells
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Receptors, Notch / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Transcription Factor HES-1
  • Transcription Factors / chemistry
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitination*
  • p300-CBP Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • MAML1 protein, human
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Transcription Factor HES-1
  • Transcription Factors
  • HES1 protein, human
  • p300-CBP Transcription Factors
  • Lysine

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grants 1052039 and 0923573 to J.B.W. and by grants from the Swedish Research Council to A.E.W. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.