Engineering Single Pan-Specific Ubiquibodies for Targeted Degradation of All Forms of Endogenous ERK Protein Kinase.

TitleEngineering Single Pan-Specific Ubiquibodies for Targeted Degradation of All Forms of Endogenous ERK Protein Kinase.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsStephens EA, Ludwicki MB, Meksiriporn B, Li M, Ye T, Monticello C, Forsythe KJ, Kummer L, Zhou P, Plückthun A, DeLisa MP
JournalACS Synth Biol
Volume10
Issue9
Pagination2396-2408
Date Published2021 09 17
ISSN2161-5063
Abstract

Ubiquibodies (uAbs) are a customizable proteome editing technology that utilizes E3 ubiquitin ligases genetically fused to synthetic binding proteins to steer otherwise stable proteins of interest (POIs) to the 26S proteasome for degradation. The ability of engineered uAbs to accelerate the turnover of exogenous or endogenous POIs in a post-translational manner offers a simple yet robust tool for dissecting diverse functional properties of cellular proteins as well as for expanding the druggable proteome to include tumorigenic protein families that have yet-to-be successfully drugged by conventional inhibitors. Here, we describe the engineering of uAbs composed of human carboxyl-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), a highly modular human E3 ubiquitin ligase, tethered to differently designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) that bind to nonphosphorylated (inactive) and/or doubly phosphorylated (active) forms of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Two of the resulting uAbs were found to be global ERK degraders, pan-specifically capturing all endogenous ERK1/2 protein forms and redirecting them to the proteasome for degradation in different cell lines, including MCF7 breast cancer cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate how the substrate specificity of an E3 ubiquitin ligase can be reprogrammed to generate designer uAbs against difficult-to-drug targets, enabling a modular platform for remodeling the mammalian proteome.

DOI10.1021/acssynbio.1c00357
Alternate JournalACS Synth Biol
PubMed ID34399052
Grant ListR21 CA132223 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R01 GM137314 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
U54 CA210184 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
Related Faculty: 
Pengbo Zhou, Ph.D.

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