Pin1 catalyzes conformational changes of Thr-187 in p27Kip1 and mediates its stability through a polyubiquitination process

J Biol Chem. 2009 Sep 4;284(36):23980-8. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.022814. Epub 2009 Jul 7.

Abstract

The cis-trans peptidylprolyl isomerase Pin1 plays a critical role in regulating a subset of phosphoproteins by catalyzing conformational changes on the phosphorylated Ser/Thr-Pro motifs. The phosphorylation-directed ubiquitination is one of the major mechanisms to regulate the abundance of p27(Kip1). In this study, we demonstrate that Pin1 catalyzes the cis-trans conformational changes of p27(Kip1) and further mediates its stability through the polyubiquitination mechanism. Our results show that the phosphorylated Thr-187-Pro motif in p27(Kip1) is a key Pin1-binding site. In addition, NMR analyses show that this phosphorylated Thr-187-Pro site undergoes conformational change catalyzed by Pin1. Moreover, in Pin1 knock-out mouse embryonic fibroblasts, p27(Kip1) has a shorter lifetime and displays a higher degree of polyubiquitination than in Pin1 wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts, suggesting that Pin1 plays a critical role in regulating p27(Kip1) degradation. Additionally, Pin1 dramatically reduces the interaction between p27(Kip1) and Cks1, possibly via isomerizing the cis-trans conformation of p27(Kip1). Our study thus reveals a novel regulatory mechanism for p27(Kip1) stability and sheds new light on the biological function of Pin1 as a general regulator of protein stability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs / physiology
  • Animals
  • CDC2-CDC28 Kinases / genetics
  • CDC2-CDC28 Kinases / metabolism
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / genetics
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / metabolism*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / genetics
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / metabolism
  • Embryo, Mammalian / cytology
  • Embryo, Mammalian / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / genetics
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation / physiology
  • Protein Stability
  • Threonine / genetics
  • Threonine / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination / physiology*

Substances

  • CDKN1B protein, human
  • CKS1B protein, human
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cdkn1b protein, mouse
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27
  • Threonine
  • CDC2-CDC28 Kinases
  • Cks1 protein, mouse
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinases
  • PIN1 protein, human
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Pin1 protein, mouse