The deubiquitinases UBP12 and UBP13 integrate with the E3 ubiquitin ligase XBAT35.2 to modulate VPS23A stability in ABA signaling

Sci Adv. 2022 Apr 8;8(14):eabl5765. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abl5765. Epub 2022 Apr 6.

Abstract

Ubiquitination-mediated protein degradation in both the 26S proteasome and vacuole is an important process in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. However, the role of deubiquitination in this process remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that two deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), ubiquitin-specific protease 12 (UBP12) and UBP13, modulate ABA signaling and drought tolerance by deubiquitinating and stabilizing the endosomal sorting complex required for transport-I (ESCRT-I) component vacuolar protein sorting 23A (VPS23A) and thereby affect the stability of ABA receptors in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetic analysis showed that VPS23A overexpression could rescue the ABA hypersensitive and drought tolerance phenotypes of ubp12-2w or ubp13-1. In addition to the direct regulation of VPS23A, we found that UBP12 and UBP13 also stabilized the E3 ligase XB3 ortholog 5 in A. thaliana (XBAT35.2) in response to ABA treatment. Hence, we demonstrated that UBP12 and UBP13 are previously unidentified rheostatic regulators of ABA signaling and revealed a mechanism by which deubiquitination precisely monitors the XBAT35/VPS23A ubiquitination module in the ABA response.

MeSH terms

  • Abscisic Acid* / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis Proteins* / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins* / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis* / metabolism
  • Deubiquitinating Enzymes* / metabolism
  • Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Protein Transport
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases* / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases* / metabolism

Substances

  • Abscisic Acid
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • AT3G12400 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Deubiquitinating Enzymes
  • Endopeptidases
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • UBP12 protein, Arabidopsis
  • UBP13 protein, Arabidopsis
  • XBAT35 protein, Arabidopsis
  • BIBP COVID-19 vaccine