PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Emma V Rusilowicz-Jones
AU  - Francesco G Barone
AU  - Fernanda Martins Lopes
AU  - Elezabeth Stephen
AU  - Heather Mortiboys
AU  - Sylvie Urbé
AU  - Michael J Clague
TI  - Benchmarking a highly selective USP30 inhibitor for enhancement of mitophagy and pexophagy
AID  - 10.26508/lsa.202101287
DP  - 2022 Feb 01
TA  - Life Science Alliance
PG  - e202101287
VI  - 5
IP  - 2
4099  - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/5/2/e202101287.short
4100  - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/5/2/e202101287.full
SO  - Life Sci. Alliance2022 Feb 01; 5
AB  - The deubiquitylase USP30 is an actionable target considered for treatment of conditions associated with defects in the PINK1-PRKN pathway leading to mitophagy. We provide a detailed cell biological characterization of a benzosulphonamide molecule, compound 39, that has previously been reported to inhibit USP30 in an in vitro enzymatic assay. The current compound offers increased selectivity over previously described inhibitors. It enhances mitophagy and generates a signature response for USP30 inhibition after mitochondrial depolarization. This includes enhancement of TOMM20 and SYNJ2BP ubiquitylation and phosphoubiquitin accumulation, alongside increased mitophagy. In dopaminergic neurons, generated from Parkinson disease patients carrying loss of function PRKN mutations, compound 39 could significantly restore mitophagy to a level approaching control values. USP30 is located on both mitochondria and peroxisomes and has also been linked to the PINK1-independent pexophagy pathway. Using a fluorescence reporter of pexophagy expressed in U2OS cells, we observe increased pexophagy upon application of compound 39 that recapitulates the previously described effect for USP30 depletion. This provides the first pharmacological intervention with a synthetic molecule to enhance peroxisome turnover.