A conserved catalytic residue in the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family.

Architecture of the catalytic HPN motif is conserved in all E2 conjugating enzymes.

E2 conjugating enzymes are the central enzymes in the ubiquitination pathway and are responsible for the transfer of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins on to target substrates. The secondary structural elements of the catalytic domain of these enzymes is highly conserved, including the sequence conservation of a three-residue HPN (His-Pro-Asn) motif located upstream of the active-site cystei...

Initial Characterization of a Conserved Active Site Residue for the Cdc34 Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme

The Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme, UbcM2, Is Restricted to Monoubiquitylation by a Two-Fold Mechanism That Involves Backside Residues of E2 and Lys48 of Ubiquitin

Proteins can be modified on lysines (K) with a single ubiquitin (Ub) or with polymers of Ub (polyUb). These different configurations and their respective topologies are primary factors for determining whether substrates are targeted to the proteasome for degradation or directed to nonproteolytic outcomes. We report here on the intrinsic ubiquitylation properties of UbcM2 (UBE2E3/UbcH9), a conse...

Characterization of a dominant negative mutant of the cell cycle ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Cdc34.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC34 gene encodes a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that is required for the cell cycle G1/S transition. We show here that a dominant negative Cdc34 protein is generated by simultaneously replacing both Cys95 and Leu99 with Ser residues. Cys95 is an essential catalytic residue that forms a transient thiol ester with ubiquitin during catalysis, and Leu99 is highl...

Nutrient Sensing Kinases PKA and Sch9 Phosphorylate the Catalytic Domain of the Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme Cdc34

Cell division is controlled in part by the timely activation of the CDK, Cdc28, through its association with G1 and G2 cyclins. Cdc28 complexes are regulated in turn by the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme Cdc34 and SCF ubiquitin ligase complexes of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) to control the initiation of DNA replication. Here we demonstrate that the nutrient sensing kinases PKA and Sch9 ...