Ubiquitin (Ub) ligases E3 are important factors in selecting target proteins for ubiquitination and determining the type of polyubiquitin chains on the target proteins. In the HECT (homologous to E6AP C-terminus)-type E3 ligases, the HECT domain is composed of an N-lobe and a C-lobe that are connected by a flexible hinge loop. The large conformational rearrangement of the HECT domain via the flexible hinge loop is essential for the HECT-type E3-mediated Ub transfer from E2 to a target protein. However, detailed insights into the structural dynamics of the HECT domain remain unclear. Here, we provide the first direct demonstration of the structural dynamics of the HECT domain using high-speed atomic force microscopy at the nanoscale. We also found that the flexibility of the hinge loop has a great impact not only on its structural dynamics but also on the formation mechanism of free Ub chains.
Keywords: E6AP E3 ligase; HECT domain; high-speed atomic force microscope (HS-AFM); molecular modeling; structural dynamics; ubiquitin.