Journal Article

cGMP via PKG activates 26S proteasomes and enhances degradation of proteins, including ones that cause neurodegenerative diseases

VerPlank, Jordan J. S., Tyrkalska, Sylwia D., Fleming, Angeleen, Rubinsztein, David C., Goldberg, Alfred L.

2020

Overview

Because raising cAMP enhances 26S proteasome activity and the degradation of cell proteins, including the selective breakdown of misfolded proteins, we investigated whether agents that raise cGMP may also regulate protein degradation. Treating various cell lines with inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 5 or stimulators of soluble guanylyl cyclase rapidly enhanced multiple proteasome activities and cellular levels of ubiquitinated proteins by activating protein kinase G (PKG). PKG stimulated purified 26S proteasomes by phosphorylating a different 26S component than is modified by protein kinase A. In cells and cell extracts, raising cGMP also enhanced within minutes ubiquitin conjugation to cell proteins. Raising cGMP, like raising cAMP, stimulated the degradation of short-lived cell proteins, but unlike cAMP, also markedly increased proteasomal degradation of long-lived proteins (the bulk of cell proteins) without affecting lysosomal proteolysis. We also tested if raising cGMP, like cAMP, can promote the degradation of mutant proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases. Treating zebrafish models of tauopathies or Huntington’s disease with a PDE5 inhibitor reduced the levels of the mutant huntingtin and tau proteins, cell death, and the resulting morphological abnormalities. Thus, PKG rapidly activates cytosolic proteasomes, protein ubiquitination, and overall protein degradation, and agents that raise cGMP may help combat the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
• Subject: Abnormalities / Animals / Animals, Genetically Modified / Biodegradation / Biological Sciences / Cell Biology / Cell death / Cell lines / Conjugation / Cyclic AMP / Cyclic AMP - metabolism / Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases - metabolism / Cyclic GMP / Cyclic GMP - metabolism / Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases - metabolism / Degradation / Disease Models, Animal / Guanylate cyclase / Humans / Huntingtin / Huntington's disease / Huntingtons disease / Kinases / Mutants / Neurodegenerative diseases / Neurodegenerative Diseases - metabolism / Phosphodiesterase / Phosphorylation / Proteasome 26S / Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex - metabolism / Proteasomes / Protein folding / Protein kinase A / Protein kinase G / Proteins / Proteolysis / Stimulators / Tau protein / tau Proteins - metabolism / Tauopathies / Ubiquitin / Ubiquitin - metabolism / Ubiquitinated Proteins - metabolism / Ubiquitination / Zebrafish