NatB modulates Rb mutant cell death and tumor growth by regulating EGFR/MAPK signaling through the N-end rule pathways

Despite the prevalence of N-terminal acetylation (Nt-acetylation), little is known of its biological functions. In this study, we show that NatB regulates Rb mutant cell survival, EGFR/MAPK signaling activity, and EGFR signaling-dependent tumor growth. We identify Grb2/Drk, MAPK, and PP2AC as the key NatB targets of EGFR pathway. Surprisingly, NatB activity increases the levels of positive pathway components Grb2/Drk and MAPK while decreases the levels of negative pathway component PP2AC despite these proteins have the same first two amino acids that are recognized by NatB and N-end rule pathways. Mechanistically, we show that NatB regulates Grb2/Drk protein stability through its N-terminal sequences and that Grb2/Drk and MAPK are selectively degraded by the Arg/N-end rule E3 ubiquitin ligase Ubr4, which targets proteins with free N-terminus. In contrast, PP2AC is selectively degraded by the Ac/N-end rule pathway E3 ubiquitin ligase Cnot4 that targets proteins with acetylated N-terminus. These results reveal a novel mechanism by which NatB-mediated Nt-acetylation and N-end rule pathways modulate EGFR/MAPK signaling by inversely regulating the levels of positive and negative components. Since mutation or overexpression that deregulate the EGFR/Ras signaling pathway are common in human cancers and NatB subunits are significant unfavorable prognostic markers, this study can potentially lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Significance Statement Nt-acetylation is often regarded as a constitutive, irreversible, and static modification that is not suited to serve regulatory functions. Our observation that Nt-acetylation by NatB coordinately regulate the levels of positive and negative components of the EGFR/MAPK pathway show that Nt-acetylation and N-end rule pathways can play important roles regulating important signaling pathways. As Acetyl-CoA level, which is influenced by cell metabolism, can be rate limiting for Nt-acetylation, our results also suggest a potentially new mechanism by which cellular metabolic status can regulate growth factor signaling.