The B-box module of CYLD is responsible for its intermolecular interaction and cytoplasmic localization.

The tumor suppressor protein cylindromatosis (CYLD), as a microtubule-associated deubiquitinase, plays a pivotal role in a wide range of cellular activities, including innate immunity, cell division, and ciliogenesis. Structural characterization reveals a small zinc-binding B-box inserted within the ubiquitin specific protease (USP) domain of CYLD; however, the exact role for this module remains yet to be elucidated. Here we identify a critical role for the B-box in facilitating the intermolecular interaction and subcellular localization of CYLD. By co-immunoprecipitation assays we uncover that CYLD has the ability to form an intermolecular complex. Native gel electrophoresis analysis and pull down assays show that the USP domain of CYLD is essential for its intermolecular interaction. Further investigation reveals that deletion of the B-box from the USP domain disrupts the intermolecular interaction of CYLD. Importantly, although loss of the B-box has no obvious effect on the deubiquitinase activity of CYLD, it abolishes the USP domain-mediated retention of CYLD in the cytoplasm. Collectively, these data demonstrate an important role for the B-box module of CYLD in mediating its assembly and subcellular distribution, which might be related to the functions of CYLD in various biological processes.