Targeting nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) represents a highly viable strategy against chemoresistance in cancers as well as cell death. Ubiquitination, including linear ubiquitination mediated by the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC), is emerging as a crucial mechanism of overactivated NF-κB signaling. Ovarian tumor family deubiquitinase OTULIN is the only linear linkage-specific deubiquitinase; however, the molecular mechanisms of how it counteracts LUBAC-mediated NF-κB activation have been largely unknown. Here, we identify Lys64/66 of OTULIN for linear ubiquitination facilitated in a LUBAC-dependent manner as a necessary event required for OTULIN-LUBAC interaction under unstressed conditions, which becomes deubiquitinated by OTULIN itself in response to genotoxic stress. Furthermore, this self-deubiquitination of OTULIN occurs intermolecularly, mediated by OTULIN dimerization, resulting in the subsequent dissociation of OTULIN from the LUBAC complex and NF-κB overactivation. Oxidative stress induces OTULIN dimerization via cysteine-mediated covalent disulfide bonds. Our study reveals that the status of the physical interaction between OTULIN and LUBAC is a crucial determining factor for the genotoxic NF-κB signaling, as measured by cell survival and proliferation, while OTULIN loss of function resulting from its dimerization and deubiquitination leads to a dissociation of OTULIN from the LUBAC complex. Of note, similar molecular mechanisms apply to the inflammatory NF-κB signaling in response to tumor necrosis factor α. Hence, a fuller understanding of the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the disruption of the OTULIN-LUBAC interaction will be instrumental for developing future therapeutic strategies against cancer chemoresistance and necroptotic processes pertinent to numerous human diseases.
Keywords: LUBAC; NF-κB; OTULIN; deubiquitinases; inflammation.