N-terminal Acetylation Shields Proteins from Degradation and Promotes Age-dependent Motility and Longevity

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2023 Oct 27

PMID 37891180

Authors

Sylvia Varland

Rui Duarte Silva

Ine Kjosas

Alexandra Faustino

Annelies Bogaert

Maximilian Billmann

Hadi Boukhatmi

Barbara Kellen

Michael Costanzo

Adrian Drazic

Camilla Osberg

Katherine Chan

Xiang Zhang

Amy Hin Yan Tong

Simonetta Andreazza

Juliette J Lee

Lyudmila Nedyalkova

Matej Usaj

Alexander J Whitworth

Brenda J Andrews

Jason Moffat

Chad L Myers

Kris Gevaert

Charles Boone

Rui Goncalo Martinho

Thomas Arnesen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Most eukaryotic proteins are N-terminally acetylated, but the functional impact on a global scale has remained obscure. Using genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens in human cells, we reveal a strong genetic dependency between a major N-terminal acetyltransferase and specific ubiquitin ligases. Biochemical analyses uncover that both the ubiquitin ligase complex UBR4-KCMF1 and the acetyltransferase NatC recognize proteins bearing an unacetylated N-terminal methionine followed by a hydrophobic residue. NatC KO-induced protein degradation and phenotypes are reversed by UBR knockdown, demonstrating the central cellular role of this interplay. We reveal that loss of Drosophila NatC is associated with male sterility, reduced longevity, and age-dependent loss of motility due to developmental muscle defects. Remarkably, muscle-specific overexpression of UbcE2M, one of the proteins targeted for NatC KO-mediated degradation, suppresses defects of NatC deletion. In conclusion, NatC-mediated N-terminal acetylation acts as a protective mechanism against protein degradation, which is relevant for increased longevity and motility.

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