Dual regulation of Fbw7 function and oncogenic transformation by Usp28

Fbw7, the substrate recognition subunit of SCF(Fbw7) ubiquitin ligase, mediates turnover of multiple proto-oncoproteins and promotes its own degradation. Fbw7-mediated substrate degradation is antagonized by the Usp28 deubiquitinase. We now show, using knockout mice, that Usp28 preferentially deubiquitinates and stabilizes Fbw7. Monoallelic deletion of Usp28 maintains stable Fbw7 but destabilizes Fbw7 substrates. In contrast, complete knockout of Usp28 promotes Pin1-dependent autocatalytic turnover of Fbw7, accumulation of Fbw7 substrates and oncogenic transformation. Overexpression of Usp28 stabilizes both Fbw7 and its substrates and similarly enhances transformation. We propose that dual regulation of Fbw7 activity by Usp28 maintains physiological levels of Fbw7 substrates, and that both loss and overexpression of Usp28 in human cancer promote Fbw7 substrate accumulation. Overall design: RNAseq experiments of E13.5 murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from animals in which Usp28 was either deleted (-/-), wildtype (+/+) or heterozygous (+/-). In a first set of experiments immortalized MEFs of all three genotypes were analysed in biological triplicates. In a second set of experiments immortalized and Ras transformed MEFs of all three genotypes and MEFs which overexpress USP28 (+/+/+) where sequenced in duplicates.

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Schülein-Völk C, Wolf E, Zhu J, Xu W, Taranets L, Hellmann A, Jänicke LA, Diefenbacher ME, Behrens A, Eilers M, Popov N