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The tripartite‐motif (TRIM) family of proteins represents one of the largest classes of putative single protein RING‐finger E3 ubiquitin ligases. The members of this family are characterized by an N‐terminal TRIM motif containing one RING‐finger domain, one or two zinc‐finger domains called B boxes (B1 box and B2 box), and a coiled‐coil region. The TRIM motif can be found in isolation or in combination with a variety of C‐terminal domains, and based on C‐terminus, TRIM proteins are classified into 11 distinct groups. Because of the complex nature of TRIM proteins, they are implicated in a variety of cellular functions and biological processes, including regulation of cell proliferation, cell division and developmental processes, cancer transformation, regulation of cell metabolism, autophagocytosis, modification of chromatin status, regulation of gene transcription, post‐translational modifications, and interactions with pathogens. Here, we demonstrate the specific activities of TRIM family proteins that contribute to the cancer stem cell phenotype. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that several TRIM members guarantee the acquisition of stem cell properties and the ability to sustain stem‐like phenotype by cancer cells using distinct mechanisms. For other members, further work is needed to understand their full contribution to stem cell self‐renewal. Identification of TRIM proteins that possess the potential to serve as therapeutic targets may result in the development of new therapeutic strategies. Finally, these strategies may result in the disruption of the machinery of stemness acquisition, which may prevent tumor growth, progression, and overcome the resistance to anticancer therapies., The tripartite‐motif (TRIM) family of proteins is involved in a variety of cellular functions and biological processes that facilitate acquisition or maintenance of stem cell self‐renewal.

Tripartite motif (TRIM)7 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that was first identified through its interaction with glycogenin-1 (GN1), the autoglucosyltransferase that initiates glycogen biosynthesis. A growing body of evidence indicates that TRIM7 plays an important role in cancer development, viral pathogenesis, and atherosclerosis and, thus, represents a potential therapeutic target. TRIM family proteins share a multidomain architecture with a conserved N-terminal TRIM and a variable C-terminal domain. Human TRIM7 contains the canonical TRIM motif and a B30.2 domain at the C terminus. To contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of action of TRIM7, we solved the X-ray crystal structure of its B30.2 domain (TRIM7B30.2) in two crystal forms at resolutions of 1.6 Å and 1.8 Å. TRIM7B30.2 exhibits the typical B30.2 domain fold, consisting of two antiparallel β-sheets of seven and six strands, arranged as a distorted β-sandwich. Furthermore, two long loops partially cover the concave face of the β-sandwich defined by the β-sheet of six strands, thus forming a positively charged cavity. We used sequence conservation and mutational analyses to provide evidence of a putative binding interface for GN1. These studies showed that Leu423, Ser499, and Cys501 of TRIM7B30.2 and the C-terminal 33 amino acids of GN1 are critical for this binding interaction. Molecular dynamics simulations also revealed that hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions play a major role in the stability of a modeled TRIM7B30.2-GN1 C-terminal peptide complex. These data provide useful information that could be used to target this interaction for the development of potential therapeutic agents.

Tripartite motif (TRIM)-containing proteins, which are defined by the presence of a common domain structure composed of a RING finger, one or two B-box motifs and a coiled-coil motif, are involved in many biological processes including innate immunity, viral infection, carcinogenesis, and development. Here we show that TRIM67, which has a TRIM motif, an FN3 domain and a SPRY domain, is highly expressed in the cerebellum and that TRIM67 interacts with PRG-1 and 80K-H, which is involved in the Ras-mediated signaling pathway. Ectopic expression of TRIM67 results in degradation of endogenous 80K-H and attenuation of cell proliferation and enhances neuritogenesis in the neuroblastoma cell line N1E-115. Furthermore, morphological and biological changes caused by knockdown of 80K-H are similar to those observed by overexpression of TRIM67. These findings suggest that TRIM67 regulates Ras signaling via degradation of 80K-H, leading to neural differentiation including neuritogenesis.

SUMOylation governs numerous cellular processes and is essential to most eukaryotic life. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of this process, an extremely limited number of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein ligases (E3s) have been identified. Here we show that at least some members of the functionally diverse tripartite motif (TRIM) superfamily are SUMO E3s. These TRIM proteins bind both the SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 and substrates and strongly enhance transfer of SUMOs from Ubc9 to these substrates. Among the substrates of TRIM SUMO E3s are the tumor suppressor p53 and its principal antagonist Mdm2. The E3 activity depends on the TRIM motif, suggesting it to be the first widespread SUMO E3 motif. Given the large number of TRIM proteins, our results may greatly expand the identified SUMO E3s. Furthermore, TRIM E3 activity may be an important contributor to SUMOylation specificity and the versatile functions of TRIM proteins.

Membrane recycling and remodeling contribute to multiple cellular functions, including cell fusion events during myogenesis. We have identified a tripartite motif (TRIM72) family member protein named MG53 and defined its role in mediating the dynamic process of membrane fusion and exocytosis in striated muscle. MG53 is a muscle-specific protein that contains a TRIM motif at the amino terminus and a SPRY motif at the carboxyl terminus. Live cell imaging of green fluorescent protein-MG53 fusion construct in cultured myoblasts showed that although MG53 contains no transmembrane segment it is tightly associated with intracellular vesicles and sarcolemmal membrane. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of MG53 expression impeded myoblast differentiation, whereas overexpression of MG53 enhanced vesicle trafficking to and budding from sarcolemmal membrane. Co-expression studies indicated that MG53 activity is regulated by a functional interaction with caveolin-3. Our data reveal a new function for TRIM family proteins in regulating membrane trafficking and fusion in striated muscles.

Many tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins, comprising RING-finger, B-Box and coiled-coil domains, carry additional B30.2 domains on the C-terminus of the TRIM motif and are considered to be pattern recognition receptors involved in the detection of higher order oligomers (e.g. viral capsid proteins). To investigate the spatial architecture of domains in TRIM proteins we determined the crystal structure of the TRIM20Δ413 fragment at 2.4 Å resolution. This structure comprises the central helical scaffold (CHS) and C-terminal B30.2 domains and reveals an anti-parallel arrangement of CHS domains placing the B-box domains 170 Å apart from each other. Small-angle X-ray scattering confirmed that the linker between CHS and B30.2 domains is flexible in solution. The crystal structure suggests an interaction between the B30.2 domain and an extended stretch in the CHS domain, which involves residues that are mutated in the inherited disease Familial Mediterranean Fever. Dimerization of B30.2 domains by means of the CHS domain is crucial for TRIM20 to bind pro-IL-1β in vitro. To exemplify how TRIM proteins could be involved in binding higher order oligomers we discuss three possible models for the TRIM5α/HIV-1 capsid interaction assuming different conformations of B30.2 domains.

The tripartite motif 5α protein (TRIM5α) is one of several factors expressed by mammalian cells that inhibit retrovirus replication. Human TRIM5α (huTRIM5α) inhibits infection by N-tropic murine leukemia virus (N-MLV) but is inactive against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). However, we show that replacement of a small segment in the carboxy-terminal B30.2/SPRY domain of huTRIM5α with its rhesus macaque counterpart (rhTRIM5α) endows it with the ability to potently inhibit HIV-1 infection. The B30.2/SPRY domain and an additional domain in huTRIM5α, comprising the amino-terminal RING and B-box components of the TRIM motif, are required for N-MLV restriction activity, while the intervening coiled-coil domain is necessary and sufficient for huTRIM5α multimerization. Truncated huTRIM5α proteins that lack either or both the N-terminal RING/B-Box or the C-terminal B30.2/SPRY domain form heteromultimers with full-length huTRIM5α and are dominant inhibitors of its N-MLV restricting activity, suggesting that homomultimerization of intact huTRIM5α monomers is necessary for N-MLV restriction. However, localization in large cytoplasmic bodies is not required for inhibition of N-MLV by huTRIM5α or for inhibition of HIV-1 by chimeric or rhTRIM5α.

PML is a component of a multiprotein complex, termed nuclear bodies, and the PML protein was originally discovered in patients suffering from acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL). APL is associated with a reciprocal chromosomal translocation of chromosomes 15 and 17, which results in a fusion protein comprising PML and the retinoic acid receptor alpha. The PML genomic locus is approximately 35 kb and is subdivided into nine exons. A large number of alternative spliced transcripts are synthesized from the PML gene, resulting in a variety of PML proteins ranging in molecular weight from 48-97 kDa. In this review we summarize the data on the known PML isoforms and splice variants and present a new unifying nomenclature. Although, the function/s of the PML variants are unclear, all PML isoforms contain an identical N-terminal region, suggesting that these sequences are indispensable for function, but differ in their C-terminal sequences. The N-terminal region harbours a RING-finger, two B-boxes and a predicted alpha-helical Coiled-Coil domain, that together form the RBCC/TRIM motif found in a large family of proteins. In PML this motif is essential for PML nuclear body formation in vivo and PML-homo and hetero interactions conferring growth suppressor, apoptotic and anti-viral activities. In APL oligomerization mediated by the RBCC/TRIM motif is essential for the transformation potential of the PML-RARalpha fusion protein.

The tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins are involved in a variety of cellular functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, development, oncogenesis, apoptosis and antiviral activity. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of an Atlantic cod tripartite motif-containing protein named bloodthirsty from a poly I:C subtractive cDNA library. The Atlantic cod bloodthirsty (Acbloodthirsty) has a predicted open reading frame of 541 amino acids, encoding a putative 64-kDa protein. The N-terminal region contains the three motifs typical of TRIM proteins, a RING finger, one B-box, and a coiled-coil domain, which together form the TRIM motif found in this large family of proteins, whereas the C-terminal region contains a PRYSPRY domain. The intracellular localization of Acbloodthirsty in CHSE-214 cells showed mostly diffuse staining with some discrete compartments in the cytoplasm. The induction of bloodthirsty transcripts by poly I:C was seen in spleen using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR). The expression pattern indicates that Acbloodthirsty is involved in antiviral immune response in Atlantic cod.

The TRIM family proteins share a conserved arrangement of three adjacent domains, an N-terminal RING domain, followed by one or two B-boxes and a coiled-coil, which constitutes the tripartite-motif for which the family is named. However, the C-termini of TRIM proteins vary, and include at least nine evolutionarily distinct, unrelated protein domains. Antiviral restriction factor TRIM5α has a C-terminal B30.2/SPRY domain, which is the major determinant of viral target specificity. Here, we describe the evolution of a cyclophilin-A encoding exon downstream of the TRIM5 locus of Asian macaques. Alternative splicing gives rise to chimeric transcripts encoding the TRIM motif fused to a C-terminal CypA domain (TRIM5-CypA). We detected TRIM5-CypA chimeric transcripts in primary lymphocytes from two macaque species. These were derived in part from a CypA pseudogene in the TRIM5 locus, which is distinct from the previously described CypA insertion in TRIM5 of owl monkeys. The CypA insertion is linked to a mutation in the 3′ splice site upstream of exon 7, which may prevent or reduce expression of the α-isoform. All pig-tailed macaques (M. nemestrina) screened were homozygous for the CypA insertion. In contrast, the CypA-containing allele was present in 17% (17/101) of rhesus macaques (M. mulatta). The block to HIV-1 infection in lymphocytes from animals bearing the TRIM5-CypA allele was weaker than that in cells from wild type animals. HIV-1 infectivity remained significantly lower than SIV infectivity, but was not rescued by treatment with cyclosporine A. Thus, unlike owl monkey TRIMCyp, expression of the macaque TRIM5-CypA isoform does not result in increased restriction of HIV-1. Despite its distinct evolutionary origin, Macaca TRIM5-CypA has a similar domain arrangement and shares ∼80% amino-acid identity with the TRIMCyp protein of owl monkeys. The independent appearance of TRIM5-CypA chimeras in two primate lineages constitutes a remarkable example of convergent evolution. Based on the presence of the CypA insertion in separate macaque lineages, and its absence from sooty mangabeys, we estimate that the Macaca TRIM5-CypA variant appeared 5–10 million years ago in a common ancestor of the Asian macaques. Whether the formation of novel genes through alternative splicing has played a wider role in the evolution of the TRIM family remains to be investigated., Author Summary The TRIM5 gene encodes TRIM5α, a protein that blocks infection of the cell by retroviruses. We previously found that the TRIM5α protein of old world monkeys was highly polymorphic. Here, we describe a substitution in a highly conserved, non-coding element normally required for correct splicing of TRIM5α messenger RNA. While it is difficult to prove positive selection for a non-coding change, the frequency of this mutation in two different species of Asian monkeys (Macaca sp) raised the possibility that the mutation was once evolutionarily advantageous. As it turns out, monkeys carrying this substitution also carry a nearby cyclophilin-A (CypA) pseudogene, and these individuals express chimeric mRNA encoding a fusion between the TRIM5 and CypA sequences. Thus, the mutation, which interferes with expression of the normal TRIM5α protein, instead contributes to expression of a novel protein. Remarkably, this is the second example of the appearance of a TRIM5/CypA chimera during primate evolution, the other having occurred in a new world monkey lineage (Aotus sp). Cellular CypA binds to the capsid proteins of several lentiviruses, and we believe that TRIM5-CypA proteins were at one time selected for the ability to block infection by retroviral pathogens, possibly related to modern lentiviruses.

The tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins play important roles in a variety of cellular functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, development, oncogenesis, and apoptosis. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of the human tripartite motif-containing protein 45 (TRIM45), a novel member of the TRIM family, from a human embryonic heart cDNA library. TRIM45 has a predicted 580 amino acid open reading frame, encoding a putative 64-kDa protein. The N-terminal region harbors a RING finger, two B-boxes, and a predicted α-helical coiled-coil domain, which together form the RBCC/TRIM motif found in a large family of proteins, whereas the C-terminal region contains a filamin-type immunoglobulin (IG-FLMN) domain. Northern blot analysis indicates that TRIM45 is expressed in a variety of human adult and embryonic tissues. In the cell, TRIM45 protein is expressed both in cytoplasm and in cell nucleus. Overexpression of TRIM45 in COS-7 cells inhibits the transcriptional activities of ElK-1 and AP-1. These results suggest that TRIM45 may act as a new transcriptional repressor in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.