The E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch in T cell activation, differentiation, and tolerance

Tagging a small molecule ubiquitin to a protein substrate, or protein ubiquitination, plays an important role in the immune responses. This process is catalyzed by a cascade of enzymatic reactions, with the E3 ubiquitin ligases being the critical enzymes that determine the specificity of substrate recognition. The E3 ligase Itch was identified from a mutant mouse which displays skin scratching and abnormal immune disorders. In the past few years, much progress has been made in our understanding of Itch-promoted protein ubiquitination, modulation of its ligase activity by upstream kinases, and the kinase-ligase interaction in T cell differentiation and tolerance induction.