Expedient Synthesis of Ubiquitin-like Protein ISG15 Tools through Chemo-Enzymatic Ligation Catalyzed by a Viral Protease Lbpro

Ubiquitin (Ub)-like protein ISG15 (interferon-stimulated gene 15) regulates innate immunity and links with the evasion of host response by viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Dissecting ISGylation pathways recently received increasing attention which can inform related disease interventions, but such studies necessitate the preparation and development of various ISG15 protein tools. Here, we find that the leader protease (Lb(pro)) encoded by foot-and-mouth disease virus can promote ligation reactions between recombinant ISG15 and synthetic glycyl compounds, generating protein tools such as ISG15-propargylamide and ISG15-rhodamine110, which are needed for cellular proteomic studies of deISGylases, and the screening and evaluation of inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro). Furthermore, this strategy can be also used to load ISG15 onto the lysine of a synthetic peptide through an isopeptide bond, and prepare Ub and NEDD8 (ubiquitin-like protein Nedd8) protein tools.

Automated summary

ISG15 protein tools are crucial for studying innate immunity and antiviral responses. This study discovered that the leader protease from foot-and-mouth disease virus can facilitate ligation reactions between ISG15 and synthetic compounds, resulting in the generation of necessary ISG15 protein tools.