Molecular interaction between Smurf1 WW2 domain and PPXY motifs of Smad1, Smad5, and Smad6 - Modeling and analysis

The ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway is essential for various important biological processes including cell cycle progression, gene transcription, and signal transduction. One of the important regulatory mechanisms by which the bone-inducing activity of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is modulated involves ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. The BMP induced receptor signal is transmitted intracellularly by phosphorylation of Smad proteins by the activated receptor I. The phosphorylated Smads 1, 5, and 8 (R-Smads) oligomerize with the co-Smad (Smad4). The complex, thus, formed translocates to the nucleus and interacts with other cofactors to regulate the expression of downstream target genes. R-Smads contain PPXY motif in the linker region that interacts with Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor I (Smurf 1), an E3 ubiquitin ligase that catalyzes ubiquitination of target proteins for proteasomal degradation. Smurf I contains a HECT domain, a C2 domain, and 2 WW domains (WW1, WW2). The PPXY motif in target proteins and its interaction with Smurf I may form the basis for regulation of steady-state levels of Smads in controlling BMP-responsiveness of cells. Here, we present a homology-based model of the Smurf1 WW2 domain and the target octa-peptides containing PPXY motif of Smurf1-interacting Smads. We carried out docking of Smurf I WW2 domain with the PPXY motifs of Smad1, Smad5, and Smad6 and identified the key amino acid residues involved in interaction. Furthermore, we present experimental evidence that WW2 domain of Smurf I does indeed interact with the Smad proteins and that the deletion of WW2 domain of Smurf I results in loss of its binding to Smads using the purified recombinant proteins. Finally, we also present data confirming that the deletion of WW2 domain in Smurf I abolishes its ubiquitination activity on Smad1 in an in vitro ubiquitination assay. It shows that the interaction between the WW domain and Smad PPXY motif is a key step in Smurf1-mediated ubiquitination of its natural targets such as Smad1, Smad5, and Smad6. This work facilitates further strategies to unravel the biological function of such interactions and help in designing effective mimetic compounds that either mimic or disrupt the specific interaction.