Qiao et al. (Schulman) -Interconversion between anticipatory and active GID E3 ubiquitin ligase conformations via metabolically-driven substrate receptor assembly 2 SUMMARY Cells respond to environmental changes by toggling metabolic pathways, preparing for homeostasis, and anticipating future stresses. For example, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, carbon stress-induced gluconeogenesis is terminated upon glucose availability, a process that involves the multiprotein E3 ligase, GID SR4 , recruiting N-termini and catalyzing ubiquitylation of gluconeogenic enzymes. Here, genetics, biochemistry, and cryo electron microscopy define molecular underpinnings of glucose-induced degradation. Unexpectedly, carbon stress induces an inactive anticipatory complex (GID Ant ), which awaits a glucoseinduced substrate receptor to form the active GID SR4 . Meanwhile, other environmental perturbations elicit production of an alternative substrate receptor assembling into a related E3 ligase complex. The intricate structure of GID Ant enables anticipating and ultimately binding various N-degron targeting (i.e. "N-end rule") substrate receptors, while the GID SR4 E3 forms a clamp-like structure juxtaposing substrate lysines with the ubiquitylation active site. The data reveal evolutionarily conserved GID complexes as a family of multisubunit E3 ubiquitin ligases responsive to extracellular stimuli.