MARCH5 requires MTCH2 to coordinate proteasomal turnover of the MCL1:NOXA complex

Cell Death Differ. 2020 Aug;27(8):2484-2499. doi: 10.1038/s41418-020-0517-0. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

Abstract

MCL1, a BCL2 relative, is critical for the survival of many cells. Its turnover is often tightly controlled through both ubiquitin-dependent and -independent mechanisms of proteasomal degradation. Several cell stress signals, including DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, are known to elicit distinct E3 ligases to ubiquitinate and degrade MCL1. Another trigger that drives MCL1 degradation is engagement by NOXA, one of its BH3-only protein ligands, but the mechanism responsible has remained unclear. From an unbiased genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen, we discovered that the ubiquitin E3 ligase MARCH5, the ubiquitin E2 conjugating enzyme UBE2K, and the mitochondrial outer membrane protein MTCH2 co-operate to mark MCL1 for degradation by the proteasome-specifically when MCL1 is engaged by NOXA. This mechanism of degradation also required the MCL1 transmembrane domain and distinct MCL1 lysine residues to proceed, suggesting that the components likely act on the MCL1:NOXA complex by associating with it in a specific orientation within the mitochondrial outer membrane. MTCH2 has not previously been reported to regulate protein stability, but is known to influence the mitochondrial localization of certain key apoptosis regulators and to impact metabolism. We have now pinpointed an essential but previously unappreciated role for MTCH2 in turnover of the MCL1:NOXA complex by MARCH5, further strengthening its links to BCL2-regulated apoptosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism
  • Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein / chemistry
  • Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein / metabolism*
  • Peptide Elongation Factors / metabolism
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism*
  • Protein Domains
  • Proteolysis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*

Substances

  • MCL1 protein, human
  • MIEF2 protein, human
  • MTCH2 protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein
  • PMAIP1 protein, human
  • Peptide Elongation Factors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • MARCHF5 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
  • Lysine