2. Academic Validation
  3. CDK5RAP3, a UFL1 substrate adaptor, is crucial for liver development

CDK5RAP3, a UFL1 substrate adaptor, is crucial for liver development

  • Development. 2019 Jan 25;146(2):dev169235. doi: 10.1242/dev.169235.
Rui Yang 1 2,  Huanmin Wang 1 2,  Boxi Kang 3,  Bin Chen 1 2,  Yaoyao Shi 4,  Shuchun Yang 1 2,  Lihong Sun 5,  Yufang Liu 1 2,  Weidi Xiao 6,  Tao Zhang 6,  Juntao Yang 1,  Ye Zhang 1 7,  Mingzhao Zhu 4,  Ping Xu 6,  Yongsheng Chang 1 7,  Yuyan Jia 8 2,  Yue Huang 8 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
  • 2 Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
  • 3 School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
  • 4 Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100005, China.
  • 5 Center for Experimental Animal Research, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
  • 6 State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China.
  • 7 Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
  • 8 State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China [email protected] [email protected].
PMID: 30635284 DOI: 10.1242/dev.169235
Abstract

Protein modification by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs) regulates numerous biological functions. The UFM1 system, a novel UBL conjugation system, is implicated in mouse development and hematopoiesis. However, its broad biological functions and working mechanisms remain largely elusive. CDK5RAP3, a possible ufmylation substrate, is essential for epiboly and gastrulation in zebrafish. Herein, we report a crucial role of CDK5RAP3 in liver development and hepatic functions. Cdk5rap3 knockout mice displayed prenatal lethality with severe liver hypoplasia, as characterized by delayed proliferation and compromised differentiation. Hepatocyte-specific Cdk5rap3 knockout mice suffered post-weaning lethality, owing to serious hypoglycemia and impaired lipid metabolism. Depletion of CDK5RAP3 triggered endoplasmic reticulum stress and activated unfolded protein responses in hepatocytes. We detected the in vivo interaction of CDK5RAP3 with UFL1, the defined E3 ligase in ufmylation. Notably, loss of CDK5RAP3 altered the ufmylation profile in liver cells, suggesting that CDK5RAP3 serves as a novel substrate adaptor for this UBL modification. Collectively, our study identifies CDK5RAP3 as an important regulator of ufmylation and suggests the involvement of ufmylation in mammalian development.

Keywords

Cdk5rap3; ER stress; Knockout mouse; Liver development; Ubiquitin-like proteins; Ufmylation.

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