Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37938554›Full record

ArticleNature communications2023

Mechanism of selective recognition of Lys48-linked polyubiquitin by macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of proteasomal degradation.

Betsegaw Lemma, Di Zhang, Ganga B Vamisetti, Bryan G Wentz, Hiroaki Suga, Ashraf Brik, Jacek Lubkowski, David Fushman

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. An edge β-strand mutation turns ubiquitin into a pore-forming amyloid.Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society · 2026
    Article
  2. AmideBiomolecular NMR assignments · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. The Molecular Toolbox for Linkage Type-Specific Analysis of Ubiquitin Signaling.Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology · 2025
    Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Betsegaw LemmaCenter for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
Di ZhangCenter for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.
Ganga B VamisettiSchulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200008, Israel.
Bryan G WentzCenter for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-8908-6815
Hiroaki SugaDepartment of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-5298-9186
Ashraf BrikSchulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200008, Israel. abrik@technion.ac.il.ORCID 0000-0001-8745-2250
Jacek LubkowskiCenter for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA. jacek.lubkowski2@nih.gov.
David FushmanCenter for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. fushman@umd.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-6634-8056
University of Maryland, College Park · USTechnion – Israel Institute of Technology · ILFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research · USNational Cancer Institute · USThe University of Tokyo · JP

Funding

Solution structure and dynamics of polyubiquitin chainsR01GM065334 · NIGMS · UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · PI DAVID FUSHMAN · 2002 to 2026
$6.2M
NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM065334
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Post-translational modification of proteins with polyubiquitin chains is a critical cellular signaling mechanism in eukaryotes with implications in various cellular states and processes. Unregulated ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation can be detrimental to cellular homeostasis, causing numerous diseases including cancers. Recently, macrocyclic peptides were developed that selectively target long Lysine-48-linked polyubiquitin chains (tetra-ubiquitin) to inhibit ubiquitin-proteasome system, leading to attenuation of tumor growth in vivo. However, structural determinants of the chain length and linkage selectivity by these cyclic peptides remained unclear. Here, we uncover the mechanism underlying cyclic peptide's affinity and binding selectivity by combining X-ray crystallography, solution NMR, and biochemical studies. We found that the peptide engages three consecutive ubiquitins that form a ring around the peptide and determined requirements for preferential selection of a specific trimer moiety in longer polyubiquitin chains. The structural insights gained from this work will guide the development of next-generation cyclic peptides with enhanced anti-cancer activity.

Indexed as

PeptidesPolyubiquitinCrystallography, X-RayPeptides, CyclicUbiquitinPeptidesPeptides, CyclicPolyubiquitinUbiquitin

Identifiers

PMID37938554
PMCPMC10632358
OpenAlexW4388490151

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.