Targeted O-GlcNAcylation of CK2α Triggers Its Ubiquitin-Proteasome Degradation and Alters Downstream Phosphorylation

ACS Chem Biol. 2025 Jul 18;20(7):1646-1659. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.5c00223. Epub 2025 Jun 16.

Abstract

O-Linked β-N-acetylglucosamine-modification (O-GlcNAcylation) is an important post-translational modification (PTM), yet dissecting its protein-specific functions has remained challenging. Here, we applied our previously reported chemical biology tool, the O-GlcNAcylation Targeting Chimera (OGTAC), to specifically induce O-GlcNAcylation of the casein kinase II subunit α (CK2α) at Ser347 in living cells. We found that this targeted O-GlcNAcylation destabilized CK2α through ubiquitin-proteasome degradation and enhanced its interaction with cereblon (CRBN). Overexpression and knockdown experiments also indicated CK2α as a substrate of the Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase 4-CRBN (CRL4CRBN) E3 ligase complex. Furthermore, the OGTAC-induced O-GlcNAcylation of CK2α reprogrammed phosphorylation of Akt and PFKP. These findings reveal that a single O-GlcNAc modification can serve as a molecular switch, controlling the protein stability and downstream phosphorylation of CK2α. More broadly, our results highlight the profound utility of the OGTAC-mediated O-GlcNAcylation to interrogate its cellular functions with specificity, overcoming limitations inherent to prior global perturbation methods.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylglucosamine* / metabolism
  • Casein Kinase II* / chemistry
  • Casein Kinase II* / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex* / metabolism
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Proteolysis
  • Ubiquitin* / metabolism

Substances

  • Casein Kinase II
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
  • Acetylglucosamine
  • Ubiquitin