We show in brain capillaries of mice challenged with β-amyloid ex vivo that the level of the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4 increases concomitant with reduction in Abcb1. In vitro we show that human ABCB1 is a substrate for human NEDD4-1 ligase. Recombinant ABCB1 was purified from Sf21 insect cells and incubated with recombinant NEDD4-1 purified from Escherichia coli. The treated ABCB1 had reduced mobility on SDS-PAGE, and mass spectrometry identified eight lysine residues, K271, K272, K575, K685, K877, K885, K887 and K1062 that were ubiquitinated by NEDD4-1. Molecular modelling showed that all of the residues are exposed on the surface of the intracellular domains of ABCB1. K877, K885 and K887 in particular, are located in the intracellular loop of transmembrane helix 10 (TMH10) in close proximity, in the tertiary fold, to a putative NEDD4-1 binding site in the intracellular helix extending from TMH12 (PxY motif, residues 996-998). Transient expression of NEDD4-1 in HEK293 Flp-In cells stably expressing ABCB1 was shown to reduce the surface density of the transporter. Together, the data identify this ubiquitin ligase as a potential target for intervention in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease.
