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Uncovering the regulation of transthiolating and RING E3 ligase activity by metabolites

Project description

Metabolite-driven regulation of the ubiquitin system

The ubiquitin system is a fundamental cellular mechanism that tags proteins for degradation, trafficking or functional modification. This process is orchestrated by approximately 650 specialised enzymes known as E3 ligases, whose activity must be tightly regulated. Aberrant ubiquitination is a hallmark of cancer and neurodegeneration. However, it remains largely unexplored how intracellular metabolites influence E3 ligase activity. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the urTREAM project aims to study this metabolite-E3 ligase interaction using a multidisciplinary approach. The project will provide fundamental mechanistic insight into ubiquitin regulation and could potentially uncover novel therapeutic targets.

Objective

The ubiquitin system, a central regulator of cellular processes, relies on the activity of approximately 650 E3 ligases to mediate the ubiquitination of cellular entities. This activity is tightly regulated to avoid aberrant ubiquitination, a hallmark of numerous diseases. While several regulatory layers of ligase activity have been documented, a novel factor – activity control by metabolites – remains vastly underexplored. A key bottleneck for uncovering metabolite-driven regulation has been the lack of appropriate tools for activity read-out of cellular ligases. However, in the past few years, innovative activity-based probes have been added to our toolbox.

In this proposal, I will exploit complementary E2~Ub-mimicking probes to monitor the proteome-wide activity of both transthiolating and single subunit RING E3 ligases after manipulation of intracellular metabolite pools. By coupling mass-spectrometry-aided ligase-agnostic profiling with biophysical characterisation of the interaction, I will chart the metabolite E3 landscape, deepen our mechanistic understanding of ubiquitin regulation, and uncover new therapeutic entry points for diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE
Net EU contribution

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€ 260 347,92
Address
Nethergate
DD1 4HN Dundee
United Kingdom

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Region
Scotland Eastern Scotland Angus and Dundee City
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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