The role of 19S proteasome associated deubiquitinases in activity-dependent hippocampal synaptic plasticity

Posttranslational modification and degradation of proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is crucial to synaptic transmission. It is well established that 19S proteasome associated deubiquitinases (DUBs) reverse the process of ubiquitination by removing ubiquitin from their substrates. However, their potential contribution to hippocampal synaptic plasticity has not been addressed in detail. Here, we report that inhibition of the 19S proteasome associated DUBs, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase 5 (UCHL5) and ubiquitin-specific peptidase 14 (USP14) by b-AP15 results in an accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and a reduction of monomeric ubiquitin without overt effects on 26S proteasome activity. b-AP15 led to a suppression of mTOR-p70S6K signaling and an increase in levels of p-p38 MAPK, two pathways essentially involved in establishing various forms of activity-dependent plasticity. Additionally, b-AP15 impaired the induction of late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP), induced the transformation of mGluR-mediated protein synthesis-independent long-term depression (early-LTD) to L-LTD and promoted heterosynaptic stabilization through synaptic tagging/capture (STC) in the hippocampal CA1 region of mice. The activity of 19S proteasome associated DUBs was also required for the enhancement of short-term potentiation (STP) induced by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Altogether, these results indicate an essential role of 19S proteasome associated DUBs in regulating activity-dependent hippocampal synaptic plasticity.