Roles of TULA-family proteins in T cells and autoimmune diseases

The T cell Ubiquitin Ligand (TULA) protein family contains two members, UBASH3A and UBASH3B, that display similarities in protein sequence and domain structure. Both TULA proteins act to repress T cell activation via a combination of overlapping and nonredundant functions. UBASH3B acts mainly as a phosphatase that suppresses proximal T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. In contrast, UBASH3A acts primarily as an adaptor protein, interacting with other proteins (including UBASH3B) in T cells upon TCR stimulation and resulting in downregulation of TCR signaling and NF-κB signaling. Human genetic and functional studies have revealed another notable distinction between UBASH3A and UBASH3B: numerous genome-wide association studies have identified statistically significant associations between genetic variants in and around the UBASH3A gene and at least seven different autoimmune diseases, suggesting a key role of UBASH3A in autoimmunity. However, the evidence for an independent role of UBASH3B in autoimmune disease is limited. This review summarizes key findings regarding the roles of TULA proteins in T cell biology and autoimmunity, highlights the commonalities and differences between UBASH3A and UBASH3B, and speculates on the individual and joint effects of TULA proteins on T cell signaling.