Proteasome activation by the 19S regulatory particle: structural dynamics of 26S assembly and substrate recognition

Abstract

Since its discovery in the late 1970s, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) has become recognized as the major pathway for regulated cellular proteolysis. Processes ranging from cell cycle control, pathogen resistance, and protein quality control rely on selective protein degradation at the proteasome for homeostatic function. Perhaps as a consequence of the importance of this pathway, and the genesis of severe diseases upon its dysregulation, protein degradation by the UPS is highly controlled from the level of substrate recognition to proteolysis. Technological advances over the last decade have created an explosion of structural and mechanistic information that has underscored the complexity of the proteasome and its upstream regulatory factors. Significant insights have come from study of the 19S proteasome regulatory particle (RP) responsible for recognition and processing of ubiquitinated substrates destined for proteolysis. Established as a highly dynamic proteasome activator, a large number of both permanent and transient RP components with specialized functional roles are critical for proteasome function. This research investigates the dynamic nature of protein-protein interactions involved in proteasome assembly and substrate recruitment, and how they provide context to our current understanding of proteasome activation by the RP.