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The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes ER stress and triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR). Failure to resolve ER stress leads to apoptotic cell death via a yet unclear mechanism. Here, we show that RNF183, a membrane-spanning RING finger protein, localizes to the ER and exhibits classic E3 ligase activities. Sustained ER stress induced by different treatments increases RNF183 protein levels posttranscriptionally in an IRE1α-dependent manner. Activated IRE1 reduces the level of miR-7, which increases the stability of RNF183 transcripts. In addition, overexpression of RNF183 leads to increased apoptosis and its depletion alleviates ER stress-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, RNF183 interacts with Bcl-xL, an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, and polyubiquitinates Bcl-xL for degradation. Thus, RNF183 plays an important role in executing programmed cell death upon prolonged ER stress, likely by inducing apoptosis through Bcl-xL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TRIM RING finger proteins have been shown to play an important role in cancerogenesis, in the pathogenesis of some human hereditary disorders, and in the defense against viral infection, but the function of the majority of TRIM proteins remains unknown. Here, we show that TRIM RING finger protein TRIM2, highly expressed in the nervous system, is an UbcH5a-dependent ubiquitin ligase. We further demonstrate that TRIM2 binds to neurofilament light subunit (NF-L) and regulates NF-L ubiquitination. Additionally, we show that mice deficient in TRIM2 have increased NF-L level in axons and NF-L-filled axonal swellings in cerebellum, retina, spinal cord, and cerebral cortex. The axonopathy is followed by progressive neurodegeneration accompanied by juvenile-onset tremor and ataxia. Our results demonstrate that TRIM2 is an ubiquitin ligase and point to a mechanism regulating NF-L. metabolism through an ubiquitination pathway that, if deregulated, triggers neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant responses to cold stress are mediated by a transcriptional cascade, in which the transcription factor ICE1 and possibly related proteins activate the expression of C-repeat (CRT)-binding factors (CBFs), leading to the transcription of downstream effector genes. The variant RING finger protein high expression of osmotically responsive gene (HOS)1 was identified genetically as a negative regulator of cold responses. We present evidence here that HOS1 is an E3 ligase required for the ubiquitination of ICE1. HOS1 physically interacts with ICE1 and mediates the ubiquitination of ICE1 both in vitro and in vivo. We found that cold induces the degradation of ICE1 in plants, and this degradation requires HOS1. Consistent with enhanced cold-responsive gene expression in loss-of-function hos1 mutant plants, overexpression of HOS1 represses the expression of CBFs and their downstream genes and confers increased sensitivity to freezing stress. Our results indicate that cold stress responses in Arabidopsis are attenuated by a ubiquitination/proteasome pathway in which HOS1 mediates the degradation of the ICE1 protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes ER stress and triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR). Failure to resolve ER stress leads to apoptotic cell death via a yet unclear mechanism. Here, we show that RNF183, a membrane-spanning RING finger protein, localizes to the ER and exhibits classic E3 ligase activities. Sustained ER stress induced by different treatments increases RNF183 protein levels posttranscriptionally in an IRE1α-dependent manner. Activated IRE1 reduces the level of miR-7, which increases the stability of RNF183 transcripts. In addition, overexpression of RNF183 leads to increased apoptosis and its depletion alleviates ER stress-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, RNF183 interacts with Bcl-xL, an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, and polyubiquitinates Bcl-xL for degradation. Thus, RNF183 plays an important role in executing programmed cell death upon prolonged ER stress, likely by inducing apoptosis through Bcl-xL., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.)