Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41571434›Full record

ArticleLife science alliance2026

Targeted recruitment of USP15 enhances CTLA4 surface levels and restricts its degradation.

Francesca Querques, Victoria Ciampani, Pei Yee Tey, Victoria D Kutilek, Elma Kadic, Michael J Clague, Sylvie Urbé

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Life science alliance, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

7 authors.

Francesca QuerquesBiochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1334-0031
Victoria CiampaniBiochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Pei Yee TeyBiochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8149-9717
Victoria D KutilekEntact Bio, Watertown, MA, USA.
Elma KadicEntact Bio, Watertown, MA, USA.
Michael J ClagueBiochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK clague@liverpool.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-3355-9479
Sylvie UrbéBiochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK urbe@liverpool.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-4735-9814

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/Y011058/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Induced protein proximity offers powerful new routes to modulate protein fate. Whereas proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) promote degradation through E3 ligase recruitment, the converse principle, targeted protein stabilisation or enhancement via deubiquitylase (DUB) recruitment, is only beginning to emerge. The immune checkpoint receptor CTLA4, whose deficiency causes severe autoimmunity, undergoes rapid ubiquitin-dependent lysosomal degradation, making it one of the most short-lived transmembrane proteins. Using an inducible "RapTag" system, which brings together tagged proteins through rapalog-mediated FKBP-FRB dimerisation, we show that enforced proximity to the broad-specificity DUB USP15 markedly increases total and cell surface CTLA4 levels. Controlled expression of WT or catalytically inactive USP15 in isogenic cell lines revealed a clear requirement for DUB activity. The elevation of CTLA4 at the plasma membrane exceeded that of the total cellular pool, consistent with a diversion from ubiquitin-driven lysosomal sorting towards recycling. This easily adaptable platform enables systematic testing of DUB-substrate combinations that informs rational Enhancement Targeting Chimera (ENTAC) design for downstream drug discovery efforts and targeted protein rescue in therapeutic contexts.

Indexed as

Cell MembraneCTLA-4 AntigenUbiquitin-Specific ProteasesHEK293 CellsHumansSubstrate SpecificityCTLA-4 AntigenCTLA4 protein, humanUbiquitin-Specific ProteasesUSP15 protein, human

Identifiers

PMID41571434
PMCPMC12827578

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.