Disulfide Crosslinking Induces Rapid Degradation of Arc/Arg3.1 via Hsp70-Mediated Ubiquitin Ligase Pathway

Abstract

Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1) is an immediate-early gene (IEG) induced by stress and synaptic activity, characterized by transient expression and rapid degradation. However, the mechanisms governing its degradation remain unclear. In this study, we identify a novel degradation pathway for Arc/Arg3.1, driven by its structural features. We demonstrate that the proteasomal degradation of Arc/Arg3.1 is modulated by the Hsp70-CHIP complex, with ubiquitination being impaired in HSF1 knockout cells. The formation of a Cys34-Cys159 disulfide bond crosslinks Arc/Arg3.1 into high-molecular-weight oligomers, altering its ubiquitination pattern and degradation kinetics compared to the C159A mutant. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) revealed that wild-type (WT) Arc/Arg3.1 adopts a more compact structure than the C159A mutant. Notably, the C159A mutant fails to interact with HSF1, resulting in Hsp70 induction upon heat shock. Our findings propose a feedback loop in which disulfide crosslinking of Arc/Arg3.1 induces rapid degradation through Hsp70-mediated ubiquitination, which in turn modulates the heat shock response by inhibiting HSF1 function.