Structure of the Caspase-8/cFLIP death effector domain assemblyStructure of the Caspase-8/cFLIP death effector domain assembly

Structural highlights

8ynl is a 9 chain structure with sequence from Homo sapiens. Full crystallographic information is available from OCA. For a guided tour on the structure components use FirstGlance.
Method:Electron Microscopy, Resolution 3.55Å
Resources:FirstGlance, OCA, PDBe, RCSB, PDBsum, ProSAT

Disease

CASP8_HUMAN Defects in CASP8 are the cause of caspase-8 deficiency (CASP8D) [MIM:607271. CASP8D is a disorder resembling autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS). It is characterized by lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and defective CD95-induced apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). It leads to defects in activation of T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, and natural killer cells leading to immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent sinopulmonary and herpes simplex virus infections and poor responses to immunization.[1]

Function

CASP8_HUMAN Most upstream protease of the activation cascade of caspases responsible for the TNFRSF6/FAS mediated and TNFRSF1A induced cell death. Binding to the adapter molecule FADD recruits it to either receptor. The resulting aggregate called death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) performs CASP8 proteolytic activation. The active dimeric enzyme is then liberated from the DISC and free to activate downstream apoptotic proteases. Proteolytic fragments of the N-terminal propeptide (termed CAP3, CAP5 and CAP6) are likely retained in the DISC. Cleaves and activates CASP3, CASP4, CASP6, CASP7, CASP9 and CASP10. May participate in the GZMB apoptotic pathways. Cleaves ADPRT. Hydrolyzes the small-molecule substrate, Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-|-AMC. Likely target for the cowpox virus CRMA death inhibitory protein. Isoform 5, isoform 6, isoform 7 and isoform 8 lack the catalytic site and may interfere with the pro-apoptotic activity of the complex.[2] [3]

Publication Abstract from PubMed

cFLIP, a master anti-apoptotic regulator, targets the FADD-induced DED complexes of procaspase-8 in death receptor and ripoptosome signaling pathways. Several tumor cells maintain relatively high levels of cFLIP in achieving their immortality. However, understanding the three-dimensional regulatory mechanism initiated or mediated by elevated levels of cFLIP has been limited by the absence of the atomic coordinates for cFLIP-induced DED complexes. Here we report the crystal plus cryo-EM structures to uncover an unconventional mechanism where cFLIP and procaspase-8 autonomously form a binary tandem DED complex, independent of FADD. This complex gains the ability to recruit FADD, thereby allosterically modulating cFLIP assembly and partially activating caspase-8 for RIPK1 cleavage. Our structure-guided mutagenesis experiments provide critical insights into these regulatory mechanisms, elucidating the resistance to apoptosis and necroptosis in achieving immortality. Finally, this research offers a unified model for the intricate bidirectional hierarchy-based processes using multiprotein helical assembly to govern cell fate decisions.

Reverse hierarchical DED assembly in the cFLIP-procaspase-8 and cFLIP-procaspase-8-FADD complexes.,Yang CY, Tseng YC, Tu YF, Kuo BJ, Hsu LC, Lien CI, Lin YS, Wang YT, Lu YC, Su TW, Lo YC, Lin SC Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 17;15(1):8974. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53306-1. PMID:39419969[4]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

References

  1. Chun HJ, Zheng L, Ahmad M, Wang J, Speirs CK, Siegel RM, Dale JK, Puck J, Davis J, Hall CG, Skoda-Smith S, Atkinson TP, Straus SE, Lenardo MJ. Pleiotropic defects in lymphocyte activation caused by caspase-8 mutations lead to human immunodeficiency. Nature. 2002 Sep 26;419(6905):395-9. PMID:12353035 doi:10.1038/nature01063
  2. Himeji D, Horiuchi T, Tsukamoto H, Hayashi K, Watanabe T, Harada M. Characterization of caspase-8L: a novel isoform of caspase-8 that behaves as an inhibitor of the caspase cascade. Blood. 2002 Jun 1;99(11):4070-8. PMID:12010809
  3. Muzio M, Salvesen GS, Dixit VM. FLICE induced apoptosis in a cell-free system. Cleavage of caspase zymogens. J Biol Chem. 1997 Jan 31;272(5):2952-6. PMID:9006941
  4. Yang CY, Tseng YC, Tu YF, Kuo BJ, Hsu LC, Lien CI, Lin YS, Wang YT, Lu YC, Su TW, Lo YC, Lin SC. Reverse hierarchical DED assembly in the cFLIP-procaspase-8 and cFLIP-procaspase-8-FADD complexes. Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 17;15(1):8974. PMID:39419969 doi:10.1038/s41467-024-53306-1

8ynl, resolution 3.55Å

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