Apoptosis-inducing factor is a target for ubiquitination through interaction with XIAP

Mol Cell Biol. 2008 Jan;28(1):237-47. doi: 10.1128/MCB.01065-07. Epub 2007 Oct 29.

Abstract

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) is an inhibitor of apoptotic cell death that protects cells by caspase-dependent and independent mechanisms. In a screen for molecules that participate with XIAP in regulating cellular activities, we identified apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) as an XIAP binding protein. Baculoviral IAP repeat 2 of XIAP is sufficient for the XIAP/AIF interaction, which is disrupted by Smac/DIABLO. In healthy cells, mature human AIF lacks only the first 54 amino acids, differing significantly from the apoptotic form, which lacks the first 102 amino-terminal residues. Fluorescence complementation and immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that XIAP interacts with both AIF forms. AIF was found to be a target of XIAP-mediated ubiquitination under both normal and apoptotic conditions, and an E3 ubiquitin ligase-deficient XIAP variant displayed a more robust interaction with AIF. Expression of either XIAP or AIF attenuated both basal and antimycin A-stimulated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and when XIAP and AIF were expressed in combination, a cumulative decrease in ROS was observed. These results identify AIF as a new XIAP binding partner and indicate a role for XIAP in regulating cellular ROS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Apoptosis
  • Apoptosis Inducing Factor / chemistry
  • Apoptosis Inducing Factor / metabolism*
  • Caspases / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Gene Deletion
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Binding
  • Ubiquitination
  • X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / genetics
  • X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Apoptosis Inducing Factor
  • X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein
  • Caspases