Mixed Lineage Leukemia 5 (MLL5) Protein Stability Is Cooperatively Regulated by O-GlcNac Transferase (OGT) and Ubiquitin Specific Protease 7 (USP7)

PLoS One. 2015 Dec 17;10(12):e0145023. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145023. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Mixed lineage leukemia 5 (MLL5) protein is a trithorax family histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase that regulates diverse biological processes, including cell cycle progression, hematopoiesis and cancer. The mechanisms by which MLL5 protein stability is regulated have remained unclear to date. Here, we showed that MLL5 protein stability is cooperatively regulated by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7). Depletion of OGT in cells led to a decrease in the MLL5 protein level through ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent proteolytic degradation, whereas ectopic expression of OGT protein suppressed MLL5 ubiquitylation. We further identified deubiquitinase USP7 as a novel MLL5-associated protein using mass spectrometry. USP7 stabilized the MLL5 protein through direct binding and deubiquitylation. Loss of USP7 induced degradation of MLL5 protein. Conversely, overexpression of USP7, but not a catalytically inactive USP7 mutant, led to decreased ubiquitylation and increased MLL5 stability. Co-immunoprecipitation and co-immunostaining assays revealed that MLL5, OGT and USP7 interact with each other to form a stable ternary complex that is predominantly located in the nucleus. In addition, upregulation of MLL5 expression was correlated with increased expression of OGT and USP7 in human primary cervical adenocarcinomas. Our results collectively reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying regulation of MLL5 protein stability and provide new insights into the functional interplay among O-GlcNAc transferase, deubiquitinase and histone methyltransferase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / genetics
  • N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Stability
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / genetics
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 7
  • Ubiquitination
  • Up-Regulation
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / metabolism*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • KMT2E protein, human
  • N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases
  • O-GlcNAc transferase
  • USP7 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
  • Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 7

Grants and funding

This work is supported by National Basic Research Program of China Grants (2015CB964901, http://www.most.gov.cn), National Natural Science Foundation of China Grants (31471207 and 81270618, http://www.nsfc.gov.cn) to YZ, and the Medicine Guide Project of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (114119a233, http://www.stcsm.gov.cn/) to WJ.