Anthony J Asmar, Shaun R Abrams, Jenny Hsin, Jason C Collins, Rita M Yazejian, Youmei Wu, Jean Cho, Andrew D Doyle, Samhitha Cinthala, Marleen Simon, Richard H van Jaarsveld, David B Beck, Laura Kerosuo, Achim Werner
The molecular mechanisms that coordinate patterning of the embryonic ectoderm into spatially distinct lineages to form the nervous system, epidermis, and neural crest-derived craniofacial structures are unclear. Here, biochemical disease-variant profiling reveals a posttranslational pathway that drives early ectodermal differentiation in the vertebrate head. The anteriorly expressed ubiquitin ligase CRL3-KLHL4 restricts signaling of the ubiquitous cytoskeletal regulator CDC42. This regulation relies on the CDC42-activating complex GIT1-βPIX, which CRL3-KLHL4 exploits as a substrate-specific co-adaptor to recognize and monoubiquitylate PAK1...
July 26, 2023: Nature Communications