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 May 3;12(5):e1006023. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006023. eCollection 2016 May.

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.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / chemistry
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / microbiology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics*
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / chemistry
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Heat-Shock Response / genetics
  • Histones / genetics
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / genetics*
  • Peptide Chain Elongation, Translational*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / genetics
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / pathogenicity
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics*
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Histones
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • FIC-1 protein, C elegans
  • FICD protein, human
  • Nucleotidyltransferases