Truttmann MC, Cruz VE, Guo X, Engert C, Schwartz TU, Ploegh HL. The Caenorhabditis elegans Protein FIC-1 Is an AMPylase That Covalently Modifies Heat-Shock 70 Family Proteins, Translation Elongation Factors and Histones. PLoS Genet. 2016 05; 12(5):e1006023.

Citation

Truttmann MC, Cruz VE, Guo X, Engert C, Schwartz TU, Ploegh HL. 2016. The Caenorhabditis elegans Protein FIC-1 Is an AMPylase That Covalently Modifies Heat-Shock 70 Family Proteins, Translation Elongation Factors and Histones. PLoS genetics. 12(5):e1006023. Pubmed: 27138431 DOI:10.1371/journal.pgen.1006023

Abstract

Protein AMPylation by Fic domain-containing proteins (Fic proteins) is an ancient and conserved post-translational modification of mostly unexplored significance. Here we characterize the Caenorhabditis elegans Fic protein FIC-1 in vitro and in vivo. FIC-1 is an AMPylase that localizes to the nuclear surface and modifies core histones H2 and H3 as well as heat shock protein 70 family members and translation elongation factors. The three-dimensional structure of FIC-1 is similar to that of its human ortholog, HYPE, with 38% sequence identity. We identify a link between FIC-1-mediated AMPylation and susceptibility to the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, establishing a connection between AMPylation and innate immunity in C. elegans.

Related Faculty

Hidde Ploegh, Ph.D.

Hidde Ploegh studies molecular aspects of immune recognition, focusing on the use of nanobodies for non-invasive PET imaging to track immune responses.