Cyclophilin J limits linear ubiquitin signaling and controls colorectal cancer progression

Exorbitant sustained inflammation is closely linked to inflammation-associated disorders, including cancer. The initiation of gastrointestinal cancers such as colorectal cancer is frequently accelerated by uncontrollable chronic inflammation which is triggered by excessive activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling. Linear ubiquitin chains play an important role in activating canonical NF-κB pathway. The only known E3 complex, linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex is responsible for the synthesis of linear ubiquitin chains, thus leading to the activation of NF-κB axis and promoting the development of inflammation and inflammation-associated cancers. We report here cyclophilin J (CYPJ) which is a negative regulator of the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. The N terminus of CYPJ binds to the second Npl4 zinc finger (NZF) domain of HOIL-1-interacting protein and the ubiquitin-like domain of Shank-associated RH domain-interacting protein to disrupt the interaction between HOIL-1-interacting protein and Shank-associated RH domain-interacting protein and thus restrains linear ubiquitin chain synthesis and NF-κB activation. Cypj-deficient mice are highly susceptible to dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis and dextran sulfate sodium plus azoxymethane-induced colon cancer. Moreover, CYPJ expression is induced by hypoxia. Patients with high expression of both CYPJ and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α have longer overall survival and progression-free survival. These results implicate CYPJ as an unexpected robust attenuator of inflammation-driven tumorigenesis that exerts its effects by controlling linear ubiquitin chain synthesis in NF-κB signal pathway.