Lysine Methylation of the Valosin-Containing Protein (VCP) Is Dispensable for Development and Survival of Mice

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 6;10(11):e0141472. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141472. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Valosin-containing protein (VCP) is a homohexameric ATPase involved in a multitude cellular processes and it was recently shown that VCP is trimethylated at lysine 315 by the VCP lysine methyltransferase (VCPKMT). Here, we generated and validated a constitutive knockout mouse by targeting exon 1-4 of the Vcpkmt gene. We show that Vcpkmt is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined and confirm the sub-cellular localization to the cytoplasm. We show by (I) mass spectrometric analysis, (II) VCPKMT-mediated in vitro methylation of VCP in cell extracts and (III) immunostaining with a methylation specific antibody, that in Vcpkmt-/- mice the methylation of lysine 315 in VCP is completely abolished. In contrast, VCP is almost exclusively trimethylated in wild-type mice. Furthermore, we investigated the specificity of VCPKMT with in vitro methylation assays using as source of substrate protein extracts from Vcpkmt-/- mouse organs or three human Vcpkmt-/- cell lines. The results show that VCPKMT is a highly specific enzyme, and suggest that VCP is its sole substrate. The Vcpkmt-/- mice were viable, fertile and had no obvious pathological phenotype. Their body weight, life span and acute endurance capacity were comparable to wild-type controls. Overall the results show that VCPKMT is an enzyme required for methylation of K315 of VCP in vivo, but VCPKMT is not essential for development or survival under unstressed conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / chemistry*
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / chemistry*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Fertility
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Growth and Development*
  • Humans
  • Lysine / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Methylation
  • Methyltransferases / deficiency
  • Methyltransferases / genetics
  • Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Phenotype
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Survival Analysis
  • Valosin Containing Protein

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Methyltransferases
  • VCP lysine methyltransferase, mouse
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases
  • VCP protein, human
  • Valosin Containing Protein
  • Vcp protein, mouse
  • Lysine

Grants and funding

This study was funded by The Norwegian Research Council (http://www.forskningsradet.no/en/Home_page/1177315753906) (# 32198 to AK and #191749 to PØF), Health South East Region Norway (http://www.helse-sorost.no/#39429toAK) and The Norwegian Cancer Society (https://kreftforeningen.no/#422102107744-PR-2007-0132toPØF). Funding for open access charge was provided by: Research Programme of the EEA/Norway Grants (grant numer POL/NOR/196258/2013). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.