Fbxw8 Is Essential for Cul1-Cul7 Complex Formation and for Placental Development

Abstract

Cullin-based ubiquitin ligases (E3s) constitute one of the largest E3 families. Fbxw8 (also known as Fbw6 or Fbx29) is an F-box protein that is assembled with Cul7 in an SCF-like E3 complex. Here we show that Cul7 forms a heterodimeric complex with Cul1 in a manner dependent on Fbxw8. We generated mice deficient in Fbxw8 and found that Cul7 did not associate with Cul1 in cells of these mice. Two-thirds of Fbxw8^−/− embryos die in utero, whereas the remaining one-third are born alive and grow to adulthood. Fbxw8^−/− embryos show intrauterine growth retardation and abnormal development of the placenta, characterized by both a reduced thickness of the spongiotrophoblast layer and abnormal vessel structure in the labyrinth layer. Although the placental phenotype of Fbxw8^−/− mice resembles that of Cul7^−/− mice, other abnormalities of Cul7^−/− mice are not apparent in Fbxw8^−/− mice. These results suggest that the Cul7-based SCF-like E3 complex has both Fbxw8-dependent and Fbxw8-independent functions.

We thank Y. Shinomiya, K. Shinohara, N. Nishimura, R. Mitsuyasu, Y. Yoshimura, and other laboratory members for technical assistance; Y. Yamada for generating knockout mice; and A. Ohta for help in preparation of the manuscript.

This work was supported in part by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan and by a research grant from the Human Frontier Science Program.