The complement of tumor cell surface proteins, or "surfaceome", is a rich source of potential immunotherapy targets. To move beyond expression-based target discovery, we previously described "structural surfaceomics," combining crosslinking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) with surface protein biotinylation to identify conformation-selective targets. In our prior work, we applied this method to a single model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), identifying active integrin beta-2 as a promising target. Here, we expand structural surfaceomics to identify additional immunotherapy targets and surface protein biology across additional models of AML, multiple myeloma, and prostate cancer, as well as donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Utilizing these models and different chemical crosslinkers, we compile an extensive database of 5,209 crosslinks. We characterize both shared and unique crosslink-based features, identifying 1,612 disease model-specific crosslinks, including 212 potentially defining tumor-specific conformations based on distance constraint violations relative to AlphaFold predictions. We further implement a suite of emerging modeling tools to predict tumor-specific protein structures. We probe crosslinking patterns suggesting multiple myeloma-specific CD48 and AML-specific integrin α1/β4 heterodimer conformations. This work establishes a resource for cancer structural biology by implementation of structural surfaceomics. Our findings also point toward more realistic protein design models, potentially enabling systematic detection of targetable cancer-specific epitopes for next-generation immunotherapies.

The molecular mechanism of uridine insertion-and-deletion mRNA editing in trypanosome mitochondria1-4 has remained unclear because of the highly dynamic nature of the underlying multi-enzyme machinery5. Here, we define editosomes as supramolecular assemblies formed by the RNA-editing substrate-binding complex (RESC) and either RNA-editing catalytic complex 1 or 2 (RECC1 or RECC2)6, and present cryo-electron microscopy structures of the approximately 1-MDa RECC1 and RECC2. Resembling dragonflies, with a head, thorax-like core, tail and wings, these ribonucleoproteins mediate the uridine deletion and uridine insertion cascades, respectively. In each RECC, a tetrameric core containing one active and three inactive RNase III domains captures the guide RNA (gRNA)-mRNA duplex, while auxiliary zinc fingers distinguish deletion sites from insertion sites and position the substrate for mRNA cleavage (step I). Three peripheral oligonucleotide-binding-fold heterotetramers are flexibly attached to the core, forming a spatially adaptable reaction chamber. The tail recruits the exonuclease and uridylyltransferase that remove or add uridines (step II), whereas the wings, coordinated by an architectural tRNA, position RNA ligases to seal the edited mRNA (step III). Together, these structures reveal how gRNA-directed substrate recognition, mRNA cleavage, uridine deletion and insertion and ligation are integrated in a single macromolecular machine. This architecture defines the mechanism of information transfer in RNA editing.

In eukaryotes, incompletely and aberrantly processed mRNAs as well as numerous noncoding RNAs are retained in the nucleus and often degraded, but the underlying quality-control mechanisms remain poorly defined. Here, we identify LENG8 as a conserved RNA nuclear retention and degradation factor. LENG8 is recruited to pre-mRNAs by splicing factors, including the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP). It associates with PCID2 and SEM1 to form the REX (repressor of export) complex, which is conserved from yeast to humans, and causes RNA nuclear retention by acting as a dominant-negative factor for the essential mRNA export factor TREX (transcription-export)-2. Loss of LENG8 results in cytoplasmic leakage of misprocessed mRNAs, including intronically polyadenylated and intron-retained mRNAs, as well as noncoding RNAs. Moreover, LENG8 promotes nuclear RNA degradation through interactions with the RNA exosome adaptor PAXT. Together, these findings uncover a conserved RNA quality-control mechanism that ensures only correctly processed RNAs are exported.

Orthosteric inhibitors block enzyme active sites and prevent substrates from binding1. Enhancing their specificity through substrate dependence seems inherently unlikely, as their mechanism hinges on direct competition rather than selective recognition. Here we show that a molecular glue mechanism unexpectedly imparts substrate-dependent potency to CSN5i-3, an orthosteric inhibitor of the COP9 signalosome (CSN). We first confirm that CSN5i-3 inhibits CSN, which catalyses NEDD8 (N8) deconjugation from the cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases, by occupying the active site of its catalytic subunit, CSN5, and directly competing with the iso-peptide bond substrate. Notably, the orthosteric inhibitor binds free CSN with only micromolar affinity, yet achieves nanomolar potency in blocking its deneddylase activity. Cryogenic electron microscopy structures of the enzyme-substrate-inhibitor complex reveal that active site-engaged CSN5i-3 occludes the substrate iso-peptide linkage while simultaneously extending an N8-binding exosite of CSN5, acting as a molecular glue to cement the N8-CSN5 interaction. The cooperativity of this trimolecular CSN5i-3-N8-CSN5 assembly, in turn, sequesters CSN5i-3 at its binding site, conferring high potency to the orthosteric inhibitor despite its low affinity for the free enzyme. Together, our findings highlight the modest affinity requirements of molecule glues for individual target proteins and establish orthosteric molecular glue inhibitors as a new class of substrate-dependent enzyme antagonists.

Gastric cancer is marked by profound molecular and microenvironmental heterogeneity that limits therapeutic progress. Here, we present a 15-layer multi-omics atlas that integrates genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs), protein-protein interactions, metabolomics, and microbiome profiles from 159 primary gastric adenocarcinomas and 30 matched normal adjacent tissues. Using cell-state deconvolution, we define tumor ecotypes that refine genomic and histological subtypes by capturing distinct tumor microenvironment architectures linked to clinical outcomes and potential associations with immunotherapy response. Multi-omics integration prioritizes genomic and epigenomic aberrations and their associated vulnerabilities; defines ecotype-specific transcriptional programs, signaling pathways, PTMs, protein interaction networks, and metabolic regulation; and identifies microbiome features linked to ecotypes and resistance pathways. We further prioritize ecotype-, genomic subtype-, and cell type-specific targetable proteins using proteomic and PTM analyses within a tumor microenvironment context. This comprehensive atlas provides a systems-level blueprint for decoding gastric cancer heterogeneity and advancing precision oncology.

Ribosome stalling during co-translational translocation at the ER causes translocon clogging and impairs ER protein biogenesis. Mammalian cells resolve translocon clogging via a poorly characterized translocation-associated quality control (TAQC) process. Here, we combine a genome-wide CRISPR screen with live-cell imaging to dissect the molecular linchpin of TAQC. We show that TAQC substrates translated from mRNAs bearing a ribosome-stalling poly(A) sequence are degraded by lysosomes and the proteasome. By contrast, the degradation of defective nascent chains encoded by nonstop (NS) mRNAs involves an unconventional ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) mechanism depending on ER-to-Golgi trafficking, KDEL-mediated substrate retrieval at the Golgi, and a tRNA-binding factor NEMF that appends an aggregation-prone carboxyl tail to stalled NS nascent chains. We propose that NEMF-mediated CAT tailing targets a subset of TAQC substrates via Golgi retrieval for ERAD, safeguarding ER homeostasis.

An intricate network of protein assemblies and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) underlies nearly every biological process in living systems. The organization of these cellular networks is highly dynamic and intimately tied to the genomic and proteomic landscapes of a cell. Disruptions in normal PPIs can impair cellular functions and contribute to the development of human diseases. In recent years, targeting PPIs has emerged as an attractive strategy for drug discovery. Consequently, the identification and characterization of endogenous PPIs-those occurring naturally under physiological conditions-has become crucial for unraveling the molecular mechanisms driving human pathology and for laying the groundwork for novel diagnostics and therapeutics. Owing to numerous technological advancements, mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has transformed the study of PPIs at the systems-level. This review focuses on proteomics approaches that enable the characterization of physiologically relevant endogenous interactions, spanning complex-centric to structure-centric analyses. Additionally, their applications to define native PPIs in the contexts of cancer and viral infectious diseases is highlighted.

Pre-mRNA 3' processing is an integral step in mRNA biogenesis. However, where this process occurs in the nucleus remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that nuclear speckles (NSs), membraneless organelles enriched with splicing factors, are major sites for pre-mRNA 3' processing in human cells. We show that the essential pre-mRNA 3' processing factor retinoblastoma-binding protein 6 (RBBP6) associates strongly with NSs via its C-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR). Importantly, although the conserved N-terminal domain (NTD) of RBBP6 is sufficient for pre-mRNA 3' processing in vitro, its IDR-mediated association with NSs is required for efficient pre-mRNA 3' processing in cells. Through proximity labeling analyses, we provide evidence that pre-mRNA 3' processing for over 50% of genes occurs near NSs. We propose that NSs serve as hubs for RNA polymerase II transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, and 3' processing, thereby enhancing the efficiency and coordination of different gene expression steps.

Cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) is a powerful technology for mapping protein-protein interactions (PPIs) at the systems level. While bivalent cross-links are effective for defining protein interactions and structures, multivalent cross-links offer enhanced spatial resolution to facilitate characterization of heterogeneous protein complexes. However, their identification remains challenging due to fragmentation complexity and the vast expansion of database search space. Here, we present tris-succinimidyl trioxane (TSTO), a novel trioxane-based, MS-cleavable homotrifunctional cross-linker capable of targeting three proximal lysines simultaneously. TSTO's unique MS-cleavability enables concurrent release of cross-linked peptide constituents during collision-induced dissociation, permitting their unambiguous identification. The TSTO-based XL-MS platform is effective for mapping cellular networks from intact cells and tissues, illustrating its versatility for complex biological systems. Trimeric interactions captured by TSTO reveal structural details inaccessible to bifunctional reagents, enhancing modeling accuracy and precision. Furthermore, this development opens a new avenue for designing multifunctional MS-cleavable cross-linkers to further advance structural systems biology.

Orthosteric inhibitors block enzyme active sites and prevent substrates from binding. Enhancing their specificity through substrate dependence seems inherently unlikely, as their mechanism hinges on direct competition rather than selective recognition. Here, we show that a molecular glue mechanism unexpectedly imparts substrate-dependent potency to CSN5i-3, an orthosteric inhibitor of the COP9 signalosome (CSN). We first confirm that CSN5i-3 inhibits CSN, which catalyzes NEDD8 deconjugation from the cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRLs), by occupying the active site of its catalytic subunit, CSN5, and directly competing with the iso-peptide bond substrate. Curiously, the orthosteric inhibitor binds free CSN with only micromolar affinity, yet achieves nanomolar potency in blocking its deneddylase activity. Cryo-EM structures of the enzyme-substrate-inhibitor complex reveal that active site-engaged CSN5i-3 occludes the substrate iso-peptide linkage while simultaneously extending an NEDD8-binding exosite of CSN5, acting as a molecular glue to cement the NEDD8-CSN5 interaction. The cooperativity of this tri-molecular CSN5i-3-NEDD8-CSN5 assembly, in turn, sequesters CSN5i-3 at its binding site, conferring high potency to the orthosteric inhibitor despite its low affinity for the free enzyme. Together, our findings highlight the modest affinity requirements of molecule glues for individual target proteins and establish "orthosteric molecular glue inhibitors" as a new class of substrate-dependent enzyme antagonists.

Cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) is a powerful technology for probing protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and elucidating architectures of protein complexes at the systems level. While successful, the proteome coverage remains limited. To expand the scope of global PPI profiling, we introduce an innovative cysteine-based cleavable XL-MS platform using non-cleavable heterobifunctional lysine-cysteine (K-C) cross-linkers. The oxidation-induced transformation of cysteine cleavability enables unambiguous identification of cross-linked peptides. This strategy has been successfully applied to proteome-wide XL-MS analysis of intact cells, and its broad applicability has been demonstrated using three heterobifunctional cross-linkers. A total of 25,401 unique linkages from 2007 proteins have been identified, significantly expanding the existing XL-PPI map and increasing the interconnectivity of the human interactome. The XL-data generated here has been coupled with AlphaFold-based predictions and integrative modeling to reveal the structural characteristics of cellular networks, offering insights into the organization of native protein complexes in cells including the SERBP1-ribosome and eEF1A1-eEF1B complexes. Due to the effectiveness in modulating cysteine cleavability, our work presents an avenue for developing bifunctional/multifunctional cross-linking reagents to further advance XL-MS technologies. Additionally, the same strategy can be easily adapted to facilitate the characterization of cysteine modifications, reactivity and interactions to benefit chemical proteomics.

Ribosome stalling during co-translational translocation at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes translocon clogging and impairs ER protein biogenesis. Mammalian cells resolve translocon clogging vial a poorly characterized translocation-associated quality control (TAQC) process. Here, we combine genome-wide CRISPR screen with live cell imaging to dissect the molecular linchpin of TAQC. We show that substrates translated from mRNAs bearing a ribosome stalling poly(A) sequence are degraded by lysosomes and the proteasome, while substrates encoded by non-stop mRNAs are degraded by an unconventional ER-associated degradation (ERAD) mechanism involving ER-to-Golgi trafficking and KDEL-dependent substrate retrieval. The triaging diversity appears to result from the heterogeneity of NEMF-mediated CATylation, because a systematic characterization of representative CAT-tail mimetics establishes an AT-rich tail as a "degron" for ERAD, whereas an AG-rich tail can direct a secretory protein to the lysosome. Our study reveals an unexpected protein sorting function for CAT-tailing that safeguards ER protein biogenesis.

Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain protein 2 (PHD2) targets Hypoxia Inducible Factor alpha subunits (HIFα) for oxygen-dependent proline hydroxylation that leads to subsequent ubiquitination and degradation of HIFα. In addition to HIF proteins, growing evidence suggested that PHD2 may exert its multifaceted function through hydroxylase-dependent or independent activities. Given the critical role of PHD2 in diverse biological processes, it is important to comprehensively identify potential PHD2 interacting proteins. In this study, we engineered HeLa cells that stably express HTBH-tagged PHD2 to facilitate the identification of PHD2 interactome. Using DSSO-based cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) technology and LC-MSn analysis, we mapped PHD2-HIF1α interaction hotspots and identified over 300 PHD2 interacting proteins. Furthermore, we validated the COP9 Signalosome (CSN) complex, a major deneddylase complex, as a novel PHD2 interactor. DMOG treatment promoted interaction between PHD2 and CSN complex and enhanced the deneddylase activity of the CSN complex, resulting in increased level of free Cullin and reduced target protein ubiquitination. This mechanism may serve as a negative feedback regulation of the HIF transcription pathway.

Understanding protein-protein interactions (PPIs) through proximity labeling has revolutionized our comprehension of cellular mechanisms and pathology. Various proximity labeling techniques, such as HRP, APEX, BioID, TurboID, and μMap, have been widely used to biotinylate PPIs or organelles for proteomic profiling. However, the variability in labeling precision and efficiency of these techniques often results in limited reproducibility in proteomic detection. We address this persistent challenge by introducing proximity labeling expansion microscopy (PL-ExM), a super-resolution imaging technique that combines expansion microscopy with proximity labeling techniques. PL-ExM enabled up to 17 nm resolution with microscopes widely available, providing visual comparison of the labeling precision, efficiency, and false positives of different proximity labeling methods. Our mass spectrometry proteomic results confirmed that PL-ExM imaging is reliable in guiding the selection of proximity labeling techniques and interpreting the proteomic results with new spatial information.

Understanding the normal function of the Huntingtin (HTT) protein is of significance in the design and implementation of therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease (HD). Expansion of the CAG repeat in theHTTgene, encoding an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat within the HTT protein, causes HD and may compromise HTT’s normal activity contributing to HD pathology. Here, we investigated the previously defined role of HTT in autophagy specifically through studying HTT’s association with ubiquitin. We find that HTT interacts directly with ubiquitin in vitro. Tandem affinity purification was used to identify ubiquitinated and ubiquitin-associated proteins that copurify with a HTT N-terminal fragment under basal conditions. Copurification is enhanced by HTT polyQ expansion and reduced by mimicking HTT serine 421 phosphorylation. The identified HTT-interacting proteins include RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) involved in mRNA translation, proteins enriched in stress granules, the nuclear proteome, the defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) proteome and the brain-derived autophagosomal proteome. To determine whether the proteins interacting with HTT are autophagic targets, HTT knockout (KO) cells and immunoprecipitation of lysosomes were used to investigate autophagy in the absence of HTT. HTT KO was associated with reduced abundance of mitochondrial proteins in the lysosome, indicating a potential compromise in basal mitophagy, and increased lysosomal abundance of RBPs which may result from compensatory up-regulation of starvation-induced macroautophagy. We suggest HTT is critical for appropriate basal clearance of mitochondrial proteins and RBPs, hence reduced HTT proteostatic function with mutation may contribute to the neuropathology of HD.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are fundamental to understanding biological systems as protein complexes are the active molecular modules critical for carrying out cellular functions. Dysfunctional PPIs have been associated with various diseases including cancer. Systems-wide PPI analysis not only sheds light on pathological mechanisms, but also represents a paradigm in identifying potential therapeutic targets. In recent years, cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for defining endogenous PPIs of cellular networks. While proteome-wide studies have been performed in cell lysates, intact cells and tissues, applications of XL-MS in clinical samples have not been reported. In this study, we adopted a DSBSO-based in vivo XL-MS platform to map interaction landscapes from two breast cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. As a result, we have generated a PDX interaction network comprising 2,557 human proteins and identified interactions unique to breast cancer subtypes. Interestingly, most of the observed differences in PPIs correlated well with protein abundance changes determined by TMT-based proteome quantitation. Collectively, this work has demonstrated the feasibility of XL-MS analysis in clinical samples, and established an analytical workflow for tissue cross-linking that can be generalized for mapping PPIs from patient samples in the future to dissect disease-relevant cellular networks.

Stressed cells secret misfolded proteins lacking signaling sequence via an unconventional protein secretion (UcPS) pathway, but how misfolded proteins are targeted selectively in UcPS is unclear. Here, we report that misfolded UcPS clients are subject to modification by a ubiquitin-like protein named ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1). Using α-synuclein (α-Syn) as a UcPS model, we show that mutating the UFMylation sites in α-Syn or genetic inhibition of the UFMylation system mitigates α-Syn secretion, whereas overexpression of UFBP1, a component of the endoplasmic reticulum–associated UFMylation ligase complex, augments α-Syn secretion in mammalian cells and in model organisms. UFM1 itself is cosecreted with α-Syn, and the serum UFM1 level correlates with that of α-Syn. Because UFM1 can be directly recognized by ubiquitin specific peptidase 19 (USP19), a previously established UcPS stimulator known to associate with several chaperoning activities, UFMylation might facilitate substrate engagement by USP19, allowing stringent and regulated selection of misfolded proteins for secretion and proteotoxic stress alleviation.

AbstractThe F-box domain is a highly conserved structural motif that defines the largest class of ubiquitin ligases, Skp1/Cullin1/F-box protein (SCF) complexes. The only known function of the F-box motif is to form the protein interaction surface with Skp1. Here we show that the F-box domain can function as an environmental sensor. We demonstrate that the F-box domain of Met30 is a cadmium sensor that blocks the activity of the SCFMet30 ubiquitin ligase during cadmium stress. Several highly conserved cysteine residues within the Met30 F-box contribute to binding of cadmium with a KD of 8 µM. Binding induces a conformational change that allows for Met30 autoubiquitylation, which in turn leads to recruitment of the segregase Cdc48/p97/VCP followed by active SCFMet30 disassembly. The resulting inactivation of SCFMet30 protects cells from cadmium stress. Our results show that F-box domains participate in regulation of SCF ligases beyond formation of the Skp1 binding interface.