The 'destruction box' of cyclin A allows B-type cyclins to be ubiquitinated, but not efficiently destroyed

The destruction of mitotic cyclins by programmed proteolysis at the end of mitosis is an important element in cell cycle control. This proteolysis depends on a conserved motif of nine residues known as the 'destruction box', which is located 40-50 residues from the N-terminus. The sequences of the A- and B-type destruction boxes are slightly different, which might account for the differences in timing of their destruction. When the cyclin A-type destruction box was substituted for the normal one in cyclin B1 or B2, however, the resulting constructs were unexpectedly stable, although the converse substitution of B-type destruction boxes in cyclin A permitted normal degradation. We compared the ubiquitination of various cyclin constructs, and found that whereas mutation of the highly conserved residues in the destruction box strongly reduced the level of ubiquitinated intermediates, the stable destruction box 'swap' constructs did form such adducts. Thus, while ubiquitination is probably necessary for cyclin destruction, it is not sufficient. We also found that poly-ubiquitinated cyclin derivatives are still bound to p34cdc2, which is not detectably ubiquitinated itself, raising the questions of how cyclin and cdc2 dissociate from one another, and at what stage, in the process of degradation.