Premium
Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein kinase G acts as an unusual ubiquitinating enzyme to impair host immunity
Author(s) -
Wang Jing,
Ge Pupu,
Lei Zehui,
Lu Zhe,
Qiang Lihua,
Chai Qiyao,
Zhang Yong,
Zhao Dongdong,
Li Bingxi,
Su Jiaqi,
Peng Ruchao,
Pang Yu,
Shi Yi,
Zhang Yu,
Gao George Fu,
Qiu XiaoBo,
Liu Cui Hua
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.15252/embr.202052175
Subject(s) - mycobacterium tuberculosis , biology , immunity , tuberculosis , enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology , host (biology) , immune system , kinase , immunology , genetics , biochemistry , medicine , pathology
Upon Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, protein kinase G (PknG), a eukaryotic‐type serine‐threonine protein kinase (STPK), is secreted into host macrophages to promote intracellular survival of the pathogen. However, the mechanisms underlying this PknG–host interaction remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that PknG serves both as a ubiquitin‐activating enzyme (E1) and a ubiquitin ligase (E3) to trigger the ubiquitination and degradation of tumor necrosis factor receptor‐associated factor 2 (TRAF2) and TGF‐β‐activated kinase 1 (TAK1), thereby inhibiting the activation of NF‐κB signaling and host innate responses. PknG promotes the attachment of ubiquitin (Ub) to the ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme (E2) UbcH7 via an isopeptide bond (UbcH7 K82‐Ub), rather than the usual C86‐Ub thiol‐ester bond. PknG induces the discharge of Ub from UbcH7 by acting as an isopeptidase, before attaching Ub to its substrates. These results demonstrate that PknG acts as an unusual ubiquitinating enzyme to remove key components of the innate immunity system, thus providing a potential target for tuberculosis treatment.