C9orf72 protein quality control by UBR5-mediated heterotypic ubiquitin chains

Hexanucleotide repeat expansions within C9orf72 are a frequent cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Haploinsufficiency leading to reduced C9orf72 protein contributes to disease pathogenesis. C9orf72 binds SMCR8 to form a robust complex that regulates small GTPases, lysosomal integrity, and autophagy. In contrast to this functional understanding, we know far less about the assembly and turnover of the C9orf72-SMCR8 complex. Loss of either subunit causes the concurrent ablation of the respective partner. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this interdependence remains elusive. Here, we identify C9orf72 as a substrate of branched ubiquitin chain-dependent protein quality control. We find that SMCR8 prevents C9orf72 from rapid degradation by the proteasome. Mass spectrometry and biochemical analyses reveal the E3 ligase UBR5 and the BAG6 chaperone complex as C9orf72-interacting proteins, which are components of the machinery that modifies proteins with K11/K48-linked heterotypic ubiquitin chains. Depletion of UBR5 results in reduced K11/K48 ubiquitination and increased C9orf72 when SMCR8 is absent. Our data provide novel insights into C9orf72 regulation with potential implication for strategies to antagonize C9orf72 loss during disease progression.