Publications | Inducible Degradation of Target Proteins through a Tractable Affinity-Directed Protein Missile System

The affinity-directed protein missile (AdPROM) system utilizes specific polypeptide binders of intracellular proteins of interest (POIs) conjugated to an E3 ubiquitin ligase moiety to enable targeted proteolysis of the POI. However, a chemically tuneable AdPROM system is more desirable. Here, we use Halo-tag/VHL-recruiting proteolysis-targeting chimera (HaloPROTAC) technology to develop a ligand-inducible AdPROM (L-AdPROM) system. When we express an L-AdPROM construct consisting of an anti-GFP nanobody conjugated to the Halo-tag, we achieve robust degradation of GFP-tagged POIs only upon treatment of cells with the HaloPROTAC. For GFP-tagged POIs, ULK1, FAM83D, and SGK3 were knocked in with a GFP-tag using CRISPR/Cas9. By substituting the anti-GFP nanobody for a monobody that binds H- and K-RAS, we achieve robust degradation of unmodified endogenous RAS proteins only in the presence of the HaloPROTAC. Through substitution of the polypeptide binder, the highly versatile L-AdPROM system is useful for the inducible degradation of potentially any intracellular POI.

Principal Investigator(s):

Author(s):
Simpson LM, Macartney TJ, Nardin A, Fulcher LJ, Röth S, Testa A, Maniaci C, Ciulli A, Ganley IG, Sapkota GP

PubMed:
32668203
Citation:
Simpson LM, Macartney TJ, Nardin A, Fulcher LJ, Röth S, Testa A, Maniaci C, Ciulli A, Ganley IG, Sapkota GP
Cell Chem Biol
2020
27
1165-1180
PMID: 32668203