Cited by 229Ubiquitin and proteasome pathwaysEnzyme Structure and FunctionProtein Degradation and Inhibitors

Structural assembly of cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase complexes

Open access
Zimmerman, Erik S, Schulman, Brenda A, Zheng, Ning·2010·Current Opinion in Structural Biology

Abstract

The cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRLs) are the largest family of multi-subunit E3 ligases in eukaryotes, which ubiquitinate protein substrates in numerous cellular pathways. CRLs share a common arched scaffold and a RING domain catalytic subunit, but use different adaptors and substrate receptors to assemble unique E3 machineries. In comparison to the first CRL structure, recent findings have revealed increased complexity in the overall architecture and assembly mode of CRLs, including multi-domain organization, inter-domain flexibility, and subunit dimerization. These features highlight the capacity of CRLs to catalyze protein ubiquitination under distinct cellular contexts and in response to diverse signals. As the first installment of a two-review series, this article will focus on recent advances in our understanding of CRL assembly mechanisms.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.sbi.2010.08.010

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  • CUL4 can rotate up to 150° around DDB1, generating a large ubiquitylation zone spacious enough to allow CRBN autoubiquitylation without a substrate being present.

    “Structural studies show that cul4 can rotate up to 150° around DDB1, the cRBN adaptor, generating a large ubiquitylation zone spacious enough to allow cRBN autoubiquitylation without a substrate being present (Zimmerman et al. 2010;Fischer et al. 2014).”

    From From serendipity to strategy: molecular glue degraders in cancer therapeutics (2025) · cites this paper as Zimmerman et al. 2010

    The CRL4A E3 machinery section reports rotational flexibility within DDB1 and suggests that it could let a CRL4 complex sample a large area around a substrate complex. It does not give a 150° rotation, identify CRBN as the adaptor (it identifies DDB1), or say that this flexibility permits CRBN autoubiquitylation without a substrate. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • CDK12 acts as a pseudo-substrate receptor which positions CycK within the expansive ubiquitylation zone of CRL4 ligases.

    “cDK12 therefore acts as a pseudo-substrate receptor which positions cycK within the expansive ubiquitylation zone of cRl4 ligases (Zimmerman et al. 2010;Słabicki et al. 2020a).”

    From From serendipity to strategy: molecular glue degraders in cancer therapeutics (2025) · cites this paper as Zimmerman et al. 2010

    The section “CRL4A E3 machinery: mobile propellers and cryptic helices” (page not provided) says CRL4’s structural flexibility might let it sample a large area around a substrate complex. It does not identify CDK12 as a pseudo-substrate receptor or say that CDK12 positions CycK there. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Ubiquitin E3 ligases serve as scaffolds between a target protein and an activated E2-Ub, binding both and catalysing transfer of ubiquitin from the E2 active site cysteine to a lysine on the target.

    “ubiquitin E3 ligases serve as scaffolds between a target protein and an activated ubiquitin E2 conjugating enzyme charged with a ubiquitin molecule (E2–Ub), by binding both molecules, then catalysing the transfer of ubiquitin from the active site cysteine of the E2 onto a lysine side chain of a target protein104–107.”

    From PROTAC targeted protein degraders: the past is prologue (2022) · cites this paper as [104]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [60]Hao B Oehlmann S Sowa ME Harper JW Pavletich NP Structure of a Fbw7-Skp1-cyclin E complex: multisite-phosphorylated substrate recognition by SCF ubiquitin ligases Molecular Cell 2007 26 131 143 17434132

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Authors
Zimmerman, E. S., Schulman, B. A., & Zheng, N.
Affiliations
  • University of Washington (US)
  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (US)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
Corresponding author
Zheng, Ning
Venue
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-12
Volume
20
Issue
6
Pages
714-721
ISSN
0959-440X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2029890158
Cited by
227
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 17
FWCI
1.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Current Opinion in Structural Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA107134)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (F32GM093497, R01GM069530)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Enzyme Structure and Function
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Degradation and Inhibitors
Keywords
cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases, E3 ubiquitin ligase, ubiquitination, RING domain, adaptor proteins, substrate receptor, subunit dimerization
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Protein Structure, Secondary, Protein Structure, Quaternary, Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases, F-Box Proteins, Protein Multimerization

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