Although the functional interaction between ubiquitin conjugating enzymes (E2s) and ubiquitin ligases (E3s) is essential in ubiquitin (Ub) signaling, the criteria that define an active E2–E3 pair are not well-established. The human E2 UbcH7 (Ube2L3) shows broad specificity for HECT-type E3s1, but often fails to function with RING E3s in vitro despite forming specific complexes2–4. Structural comparisons of inactive UbcH7/RING complexes with active UbcH5/RING complexes reveal no defining differences3,4, highlighting a gap in our understanding of Ub transfer. We show that, unlike many E2s that transfer Ub with RINGs, UbcH7 lacks intrinsic, E3-independent reactivity with lysine, explaining its preference for HECTs. Despite lacking lysine reactivity, UbcH7 exhibits activity with the RING-In Between-RING (RBR) family of E3s that includes Parkin and human homologue of ariadne (HHARI)5,6. Found in all eukaryotes7, RBRs regulate processes such as translation8 and immune signaling9. RBRs contain a canonical C3HC4-type RING, followed by two conserved Cys/His-rich Zn2+-binding domains, In-Between-RING (IBR) and RING2 domains, which together define this E3 family7. Here we show that RBRs function like RING/HECT hybrids: they bind E2s via a RING domain, but transfer Ub through an obligate thioester-linked Ub (denoted ‘~Ub’), requiring a conserved cysteine residue in RING2. Our results define the functional cadre of E3s for UbcH7, an E2 involved in cell proliferation10 and immune function11, and suggest a novel mechanism for an entire class of E3s.

The endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) machinery mediates the physical separation between daughter cells during cytokinetic abscission. This process is regulated by the abscission checkpoint, a genome protection mechanism that relies on Aurora B and the ESCRT-III subunit CHMP4C to delay abscission in response to chromosome missegregation. In this study, we show that Unc-51-like kinase 3 (ULK3) phosphorylates and binds ESCRT-III subunits via tandem MIT domains, and thereby, delays abscission in response to lagging chromosomes, nuclear pore defects, and tension forces at the midbody. Our structural and biochemical studies reveal an unusually tight interaction between ULK3 and IST1, an ESCRT-III subunit required for abscission. We also demonstrate that IST1 phosphorylation by ULK3 is an essential signal required to sustain the abscission checkpoint and that ULK3 and CHMP4C are functionally linked components of the timer that controls abscission in multiple physiological situations.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06547.001

Synopsis Ubiquitination is a post-translational modification pathway involved in myriad cellular regulation and disease pathways. The ubiquitin (Ub) transfer cascade requires three enzyme activities: a Ub-activating (E1) enzyme, a Ub-conjugating (E2) enzyme, and a Ub ligase (E3). Because the E2 is responsible both for E3 selection and substrate modification, E2s function at the heart of the Ub transfer pathway and are responsible for much of the diversity of Ub cellular signaling. There are currently over ninety three-dimensional structures of E2s, both alone and in complex with protein binding partners, providing a wealth of information regarding how E2s are recognized by a wide variety of proteins. In this review, we describe the prototypical E2/E3 interface and discuss limitations of current methods to identify cognate E2/E3 partners. We present non-canonical E2-protein interactions and highlight the economy of E2s in their ability to facilitate many protein-protein interactions at nearly every surface on their relatively small, compact catalytic domain. Lastly, we compare the structures of conjugated E2~Ub species, their unique protein interactions, and the mechanistic insights provided by species that are poised to transfer Ub.

Ubiquitination of the αN-terminus of protein substrates has been reported sporadically over the past twenty years. However the identity of an enzyme responsible for this unique ubiquitin (Ub) modification has only recently been elucidated. We show the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) Ube2w employs a novel mechanism to facilitate the specific ubiquitination of the α-amino group of its substrates that involves recognition of backbone atoms of intrinsically disordered N-termini. We present the NMR-based solution ensemble of full-length Ube2w that reveals a structural architecture unlike any other E2, in which its C-terminus is partly disordered and flexible to accommodate variable substrate N-termini. Flexibility of the substrate is critical for recognition by Ube2w and point mutations in, or removal of, the flexible C-terminus of Ube2w inhibits substrate binding and modification. Mechanistic insights reported here provide guiding principles for future efforts to define the N-terminal-Ubiquitome in cells.