RNF166 plays a dual role for Lys63-linked ubiquitination and sumoylation of its target proteins

Ubiquitination and sumoylation are two important posttranslational modifications in cells. RING (Really Interesting New Gene)-type E3 ligases play essential roles in regulating a plethora of biological processes such as cell survival and death. In our previous study, we performed a microarray using inputs from MN9D dopaminergic neuronal cells treated with 6-hydroxydopamine and identified a novel RING-type E3 ligase, RNF166. We showed that RNF166 exerts proapoptotic effects via ubiquitin-dependent degradation of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis and subsequent overactivation of caspase-dependent neuronal death following 6-hydroxydopamine treatment. In the present study, we further expanded the list of RNF166’s binding substrates using mass spectral analyses of immunoprecipitates obtained from RNF166-overexpressing HEK293 cells. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1, ATPase WRNIP1, X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 5 (Ku80), and replication protein A 70 were identified as potential binding partners of RNF166. Additionally, we confirmed that RNF166 interacts with and forms lysine 63-linked polyubiquitin chains in Ku80. Consequently, these events promoted the increased stability of Ku80. Intriguingly, we found that RNF166 also contains distinct consensus sequences termed SUMO-interacting motifs and interacts with apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1). We determined that RNF166 induces the sumoylation of ASK1. Overall, our data provide novel evidence that RNF166 has a dual function of Lys63-linked ubiquitination and sumoylation of its cellular targets.