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Insights into the biogenesis, function, and regulation of ADP-ribosylation

Nature Chemical Biology volume 14, pages 236–243 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

ADP-ribosylation—the transfer of ADP-ribose (ADPr) from NAD+ onto target molecules—is catalyzed by members of the ADP-ribosyltransferase (ART) superfamily of proteins, found in all kingdoms of life. Modification of amino acids in protein targets by ADPr regulates critical cellular pathways in eukaryotes and underlies the pathogenicity of certain bacteria. Several members of the ART superfamily are highly relevant for disease; these include the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), recently shown to be important cancer targets, and the bacterial toxins diphtheria toxin and cholera toxin, long known to be responsible for the symptoms of diphtheria and cholera that result in morbidity. In this Review, we discuss the functions of amino acid ADPr modifications and the ART proteins that make them, the nature of the chemical linkage between ADPr and its targets and how this impacts function and stability, and the way that ARTs select specific amino acids in targets to modify.

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Figure 1: Structure of the HYE and RSE ART folds.
Figure 2: Key cellular functions of ARTs in bacteria and humans.
Figure 3: Amino acid targeting in bacterial ARTs, ARTCs and PARPs.
Figure 4: Mechanisms of substrate targeting.

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  1. Program in Chemical Biology and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Michael S Cohen

  2. Ribon Therapeutics, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA

    Paul Chang

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P.C. is a founder and scientific consultant at Ribon Therapeutics.

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Cohen, M., Chang, P. Insights into the biogenesis, function, and regulation of ADP-ribosylation. Nat Chem Biol 14, 236–243 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2568

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