Primary Citation of Related Structures:   6XAR
PubMed Abstract: 
CBL is a RING type E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions as a negative regulator of tyrosine kinase signaling and loss of CBL E3 function is implicated in several forms of leukemia. The Src-like adaptor proteins (SLAP/SLAP2) bind to CBL and are required for CBL-dependent downregulation of antigen receptor, cytokine receptor, and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling ...
CBL is a RING type E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions as a negative regulator of tyrosine kinase signaling and loss of CBL E3 function is implicated in several forms of leukemia. The Src-like adaptor proteins (SLAP/SLAP2) bind to CBL and are required for CBL-dependent downregulation of antigen receptor, cytokine receptor, and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. Despite the established role of SLAP/SLAP2 in regulating CBL activity, the nature of the interaction and the mechanisms involved are not known. To understand the molecular basis of the interaction between SLAP/SLAP2 and CBL, we solved the crystal structure of CBL tyrosine kinase binding domain (TKBD) in complex with SLAP2. The carboxy-terminal region of SLAP2 adopts an α-helical structure which binds in a cleft between the 4H, EF-hand, and SH2 domains of the TKBD. This SLAP2 binding site is remote from the canonical TKBD phospho-tyrosine peptide binding site but overlaps with a region important for stabilizing CBL in its autoinhibited conformation. In addition, binding of SLAP2 to CBL in vitro activates the ubiquitin ligase function of autoinhibited CBL. Disruption of the CBL/SLAP2 interface through mutagenesis demonstrated a role for this protein-protein interaction in regulation of CBL E3 ligase activity in cells. Our results reveal that SLAP2 binding to a regulatory cleft of the TKBD provides an alternative mechanism for activation of CBL ubiquitin ligase function.
Related Citations: 
Sleuthing biochemical evidence to elucidate unassigned electron density in a CBL-SLAP2 crystal complex Wybenga-Groot, L.E., McGlade, C.J. (2021) Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 77: 37
Organizational Affiliation: 
The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Program in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada. Electronic address: jmcglade@sickkids.ca.