Impact of Losing hRpn13 Pru or UCHL5 on Proteasome Clearance of Ubiquitinated Proteins and RA190 Cytotoxicity

hRpn13/ADRM1 links substrate recruitment with deubiquitination at the proteasome through its proteasome- and ubiquitin-binding Pru domain and DEUBAD domain, which binds and activates deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) UCHL5/Uch37. Here, we edit the HCT116 colorectal cancer cell line to delete part of the hRpn13 Pru, producing cells that express truncated hRpn13 (trRpn13), which is competent for UCHL5 binding but defective for proteasome interaction. trRpn13 cells demonstrate reduced levels of proteasome-bound ubiquitinated proteins, indicating that the loss of hRpn13 function at proteasomes cannot be fully compensated for by the two other dedicated substrate receptors (hRpn1 and hRpn10). Previous studies indicated that the loss of full-length hRpn13 causes a corresponding reduction of UCHL5. We find UCHL5 levels unaltered in trRpn13 cells, but hRpn11 is elevated in ΔhRpn13 and trRpn13 cells, perhaps from cell stress. Despite the ∼90 DUBs in human cells, including two others in addition to UCHL5 at the proteasome, we found deletion of UCHL5 from HCT116 cells to cause increased levels of ubiquitinated proteins in whole-cell extract and at proteasomes, suggesting that UCHL5 activity cannot be fully assumed by other DUBs. We also report anticancer molecule RA190, which binds covalently to hRpn13 and UCHL5, to require hRpn13 Pru and not UCHL5 for cytotoxicity.