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Mistakes are part of our world and constantly occurring. Due to transcriptional and translational failures, genomic mutations or diverse stress conditions like oxidation or heat misfolded proteins are permanently produced in every compartment of the cell. As misfolded proteins in general lose their native function and tend to aggregate several cellular mechanisms have been evolved dealing with such potentially toxic protein species. Misfolded proteins are mostly recognized by chaperones on the basis of their exposed hydrophobic patches and, if unable to refold them to their native state, are targeted to proteolytic pathways. Most prominent are the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagic vacuolar (lysosomal) system, eliminating misfolded proteins from the cellular environment. A major task of this quality control system is the specific recognition and separation of the misfolded from the correctly folded protein species and the folding intermediates, respectively, which are on the way to the correct folded state but exhibit properties of misfolded proteins. In this review we focus on the recognition process and subsequent degradation of misfolded proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the different cell compartments of eukaryotic cells. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Ubiquitin-Proteasome System. Guest Editors: Thomas Sommer and Dieter H. Wolf., (© 2013.)

The AAA-type ATPase Cdc48 (named p97/VCP in mammals) is a molecular machine in all eukaryotic cells that transforms ATP hydrolysis into mechanic power to unfold and pull proteins against physical forces, which make up a protein's structure and hold it in place. From the many cellular processes, Cdc48 is involved in, its function in endoplasmic reticulum associated protein degradation (ERAD) is understood best. This quality control process for proteins of the secretory pathway scans protein folding and discovers misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the organelle, destined for folding of these proteins and their further delivery to their site of action. Misfolded lumenal and membrane proteins of the ER are detected by chaperones and lectins and retro-translocated out of the ER for degradation. Here the Cdc48 machinery, recruited to the ER membrane, takes over. After polyubiquitylation of the protein substrate, Cdc48 together with its dimeric co-factor complex Ufd1-Npl4 pulls the misfolded protein out and away from the ER membrane and delivers it to down-stream components for degradation by a cytosolic proteinase machine, the proteasome. The known details of the Cdc48-Ufd1-Npl4 motor complex triggered process are subject of this review article., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recognition and elimination of misfolded proteins are essential cellular processes. More than thirty percent of the cellular proteins are proteins of the secretory pathway. They fold in the lumen or membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum from where they are sorted to their site of action. The folding process, as well as any refolding after cell stress, depends on chaperone activity. In case proteins are unable to acquire their native conformation, chaperones with different substrate specificity and activity guide them to elimination. For most misfolded proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum this requires retro-translocation to the cytosol and polyubiquitylation of the misfolded protein by an endoplasmic reticulum associated machinery. Thereafter ubiquitylated proteins are guided to the proteasome for degradation. This review summarizes our up to date knowledge of chaperone classes and chaperone function in endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation of protein waste.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the eukaryotic organelle where most secretory proteins are folded for subsequent delivery to their site of action. Proper folding of newly synthesized proteins is monitored by a stringent ER quality control system. This system recognizes misfolded or unassembled proteins and prevents them from reaching their final destination. Instead, they are extracted from the ER, polyubiquitinated and degraded by the cytosolic proteasome. With the identification of novel components and substrates, a more and more complex picture of this process emerges in which distinct pathways target different sets of substrates for destruction.

The final destination of the majority of proteins that have to be selectively degraded in eukaryotic cells is the proteasome, a highly sophisticated nanomachine essential for life. 26S proteasomes select target proteins via their modification with polyubiquitin chains or, in rare cases, by the recognition of specific motifs. They are made up of different subcomplexes, a 20S core proteasome harboring the proteolytic active sites hidden within its barrel-like structure and two 19S caps that execute regulatory functions. Similar complexes equipped with PA28 regulators instead of 19S caps are a variation of this theme specialized for the production of antigenic peptides required in immune response. Structure analysis as well as extensive biochemical and genetic studies of the 26S proteasome and the ubiquitin system led to a basic model of substrate recognition and degradation. Recent work raised new concepts. Additional factors involved in substrate acquisition and delivery to the proteasome have been discovered. Moreover, first insights in the tasks of individual subunits or subcomplexes of the 19S caps in substrate recognition and binding as well as release and recycling of polyubiquitin tags have been obtained.

We report in vitro studies on the interaction of several substrates with the carboxypeptidase Y-inhibitor complex of yeast. Inhibition of carboxypeptidase Y cleavage of two peptides by carboxypeptidase Y-inhibitor is shown to be competitive. The experiments show a wide variation in the degree of cleavage of a variety of peptide substrates by carboxypeptidase Y, despite the presence of the inhibitor protein. The most likely explanation for this behaviour is a different capacity for the peptides to dissociate the inhibitor protein from the substrate-binding site of carboxypeptidase Y. While the carboxypeptidase Y-inhibitor is insensitive to proteolytic inactivation when complexed with carboxypeptidase Y, it is sensitive when in the free state. Addition of the substrate, N-Cbz-Phe-Leu, to the carboxypeptidase Y-inhibitor complex, however, allows proteolytic inactivation of the inhibitor protein. We suggest that the proteinase-inhibitor may play a crucial role in the regulation of proteinase activity. The inhibitor protein generally protects proteins from unwanted proteinase action. However, it will allow cleavage of proteins which, by some signal triggered metabolically, become substrates due to the exposure of amino acid sequences normally buried, and exhibiting a high affinity for the proteinase.