SUMO regulates the activity of Smoothened and Costal-2 in Drosophila Hedgehog signaling

Sci Rep. 2017 Feb 14:7:42749. doi: 10.1038/srep42749.

Abstract

In Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, the GPCR-family protein Smoothened (Smo) acts as a signal transducer that is regulated by phosphorylation and ubiquitination, which ultimately change the cell surface accumulation of Smo. However, it is not clear whether Smo is regulated by other post-translational modifications, such as sumoylation. Here, we demonstrate that knockdown of the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) pathway components Ubc9 (a SUMO-conjugating enzyme E2), PIAS (a SUMO-protein ligase E3), and Smt3 (the SUMO isoform in Drosophila) by RNAi prevents Smo accumulation and alters Smo activity in the wing. We further show that Hh-induced-sumoylation stabilizes Smo, whereas desumoylation by Ulp1 destabilizes Smo in a phosphorylation independent manner. Mechanistically, we discover that excessive Krz, the Drosophila β-arrestin 2, inhibits Smo sumoylation and prevents Smo accumulation through Krz regulatory domain. Krz likely facilitates the interaction between Smo and Ulp1 because knockdown of Krz by RNAi attenuates Smo-Ulp1 interaction. Finally, we provide evidence that Cos2 is also sumoylated, which counteracts its inhibitory role on Smo accumulation in the wing. Taken together, we have uncovered a novel mechanism for Smo activation by sumoylation that is regulated by Hh and Smo interacting proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arrestins / genetics
  • Arrestins / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Drosophila
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Hedgehog Proteins / genetics
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism
  • Kinesins / genetics
  • Kinesins / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins / genetics
  • Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Smoothened Receptor / genetics
  • Smoothened Receptor / metabolism*
  • Sumoylation*
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / metabolism
  • Wings, Animal / metabolism

Substances

  • Arrestins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins
  • Smoothened Receptor
  • cos protein, Drosophila
  • krz protein, Drosophila
  • smo protein, Drosophila
  • smt3 protein, Drosophila
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases
  • Ulp1 protease
  • Kinesins
  • ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC9