A cell-permeable Ub-Dha probe for profiling E1-E2-E3 enzymes in live cells

Chem Commun (Camb). 2024 Apr 16;60(32):4342-4345. doi: 10.1039/d4cc00415a.

Abstract

Activity-based ubiquitin probes (Ub-ABPs) have recently been developed as effective tools for studying the capabilities of E1-E2-E3 enzymes, but most of them can only be used in cell lysates. Here, we report the first cell-penetrating Ub-Dha probes based on thiazolidine-protected cysteines, which enable successful delivery into cells confirmed by a fluorophore at the N-terminus of Ub and live-cell fluorescence microscopy. A total of 18 E1-E2-E3 enzymes in live cells were labelled and enriched in combination with label-free quantification (LFQ) mass spectrometry. This work provided a new cell-penetrating Ub tool for studying the activity and function of Ub-related enzymes.

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Ubiquitin* / chemistry
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases* / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination

Substances

  • Ubiquitin
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Fluorescent Dyes