LSD1 Demethylase and the Methyl-Binding Protein PHF20L1 Prevent SET7 Methyltransferase–Dependent Proteolysis of the Stem-Cell Protein SOX2

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-9-2018

Publication Title

Journal of Bological Chemistry

Volume

293

Issue

10

First page number:

3663

Last page number:

3674

Abstract

The pluripotency-controlling stem-cell protein SRY-box 2 (SOX2) plays a pivotal role in maintaining the self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells and also of teratocarcinoma or embryonic carcinoma cells. SOX2 is monomethylated at lysine 119 (Lys-119) in mouse embryonic stem cells by the SET7 methyltransferase, and this methylation triggers ubiquitin-dependent SOX2 proteolysis. However, the molecular regulators and mechanisms controlling SET7-induced SOX2 proteolysis are unknown. Here, we report that in human ovarian teratocarcinoma PA-1 cells, methylation-dependent SOX2 proteolysis is dynamically regulated by the LSD1 lysine demethylase and a methyl-binding protein, PHD finger protein 20–like 1 (PHF20L1). We found that LSD1 not only removes the methyl group from monomethylated Lys-117 (equivalent to Lys-119 in mouse SOX2), but it also demethylates monomethylated Lys-42 in SOX2, a reaction that SET7 also regulated and that also triggered SOX2 proteolysis. Our studies further revealed that PHF20L1 binds both monomethylated Lys-42 and Lys-117 in SOX2 and thereby prevents SOX2 proteolysis. Down-regulation of either LSD1 or PHF20L1 promoted SOX2 proteolysis, which was prevented by SET7 inactivation in both PA-1 and mouse embryonic stem cells. Our studies also disclosed that LSD1 and PHF20L1 normally regulate the growth of pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells and PA-1 cells by preventing methylation-dependent SOX2 proteolysis. In conclusion, our findings reveal an important mechanism by which the stability of the pluripotency-controlling stem-cell protein SOX2 is dynamically regulated by the activities of SET7, LSD1, and PHF20L1 in pluripotent stem cells.

Keywords

Ubiquitin-dependent protease; Stem cells; Cancer stem cells; Pluripotency; Post-translational modification (PTM); LSD1; Methylation; PHF20L1; SET7; SOX2

Language

English


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