Cited by 257Autophagy in Disease and TherapyHeat shock proteins researchUbiquitin and proteasome pathways

Proteome-wide analysis of chaperone-mediated autophagy targeting motifs

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Kirchner, Philipp, Bourdenx, Mathieu, Madrigal-Matute, Julio, Tiano, Simoni, Diaz, Antonio, Bartholdy, Boris A., Will, Britta, Cuervo, Ana Maria·2019·PLOS Biology

Abstract

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) contributes to the lysosomal degradation of a selective subset of proteins. Selectivity lies in the chaperone heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein (HSC70) recognizing a pentapeptide motif (KFERQ-like motif) in the protein sequence essential for subsequent targeting and degradation of CMA substrates in lysosomes. Interest in CMA is growing due to its recently identified regulatory roles in metabolism, differentiation, cell cycle, and its malfunctioning in aging and conditions such as cancer, neurodegeneration, or diabetes. Identification of the subset of the proteome amenable to CMA degradation could further expand our understanding of the pathophysiological relevance of this form of autophagy. To that effect, we have performed an in silico screen for KFERQ-like motifs across proteomes of several species. We have found that KFERQ-like motifs are more frequently located in solvent-exposed regions of proteins, and that the position of acidic and hydrophobic residues in the motif plays the most important role in motif construction. Cross-species comparison of proteomes revealed higher motif conservation in CMA-proficient species. The tools developed in this work have also allowed us to analyze the enrichment of motif-containing proteins in biological processes on an unprecedented scale and discover a previously unknown association between the type and combination of KFERQ-like motifs in proteins and their participation in specific biological processes. To facilitate further analysis by the scientific community, we have developed a free web-based resource (KFERQ finder) for direct identification of KFERQ-like motifs in any protein sequence. This resource will contribute to accelerating understanding of the physiological relevance of CMA.

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  • This led to the identification of some of the earliest disease-associated genes, including APP, PS1 and PS2 in AD, SNCA and LRRK2 in PD and MAPT and GRN in FTD.

    “This subsequently led to the identification of some of the earliest disease-associated genes, including APP, PS1 and PS2 in AD, SNCA and LRRK2 in PD and MAPT and GRN in FTD.79–87”

    From The lysosome and proteostatic stress at the intersection of pediatric neurological disorders and adult neurodegenerative diseases (2025) · cites this paper as [86]

    The Results section (‘Position of motifs within proteins’; page unavailable) links α-synuclein to Parkinson disease pathology, supporting only a narrow part of the PD association. It does not describe the early identification of disease-associated genes or establish the listed AD and FTD gene associations; the LRRK2 mention is in a reference about autophagy. (LLM, conf=0.72)

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Authors
Kirchner, P., Bourdenx, M., Madrigal-Matute, J., Tiano, S., Diaz, A., Bartholdy, B. A., Will, B., & Cuervo, A. M.
Affiliations
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
Venue
PLOS Biology
Published
2019-05-31
Volume
17
Issue
5
Pages
e3000301
ISSN
  • 1544-9173 (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-7885
OpenAlex
W2947390945
Cited by
257
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 47 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 3
FWCI
19.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (AG031782, AG021904, AG038072)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK098408)
  • JPB Foundation (Cuervo 1)
  • Fondation Leducq (RA15CVD04)
  • American Heart Association (17POST33650088)
  • Deutsche Forschungemeinschaft (KI 1992/1-1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Heat shock proteins research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
Keywords
chaperone-mediated autophagy, Hsc70, lysosomal degradation, biological process enrichment
MeSH terms
Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Drosophila melanogaster, Humans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Conserved Sequence, Evolution, Molecular, Proteome, Amino Acid Motifs, NIH 3T3 Cells, Mice

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