Molecular mechanism of HUWE1-HAPSTR1-USP7-mediated ubiquitin chain amplification on nuclear proteins.

Abstract

Rapid protein turnover is essential for cellular stress adaptation. HUWE1 (HECT, UBA, and WWE domain containing 1), a large HECT-type E3 ligase, regulates many short-lived stress-responsive proteins, yet the mechanisms underlying its substrate selectivity remain unclear. Here, we reveal that HUWE1 functions as a ubiquitin chain amplifier that captures pre-ubiquitinated substrates and amplifies the degradation signal by assembling long ubiquitin chains containing K11-K48 branch points, a process regulated by its partners HUWE1-associated protein stress response 1 (HAPSTR1) and USP7 (ubiquitin-specific-processing protease 7). Structural and biochemical analyses show that HAPSTR1 engages HUWE1's ubiquitin-binding motifs to drive nuclear import and modulate substrate recruitment. A cryo-EM structure of the HUWE1-USP7 complex reveals a bidirectional regulatory mechanism: HUWE1 activates USP7's catalytic activity, while USP7 modulates HUWE1 conformational states. Global proteomic analyses demonstrate that this axis drives extensive remodeling of the short-lived nuclear proteome. These findings establish the HUWE1-HAPSTR1-USP7 complex as a key ubiquitin code modifier, providing a molecular rationale for HUWE1 dysregulation in neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer.