CRL4(Cdt2) Ubiquitin Ligase, A Genome Caretaker Controlled by Cdt2 Binding to PCNA and DNA

The ubiquitin ligase CRL4(Cdt2) plays a vital role in preserving genomic integrity by regulating essential proteins during S phase and after DNA damage. Deregulation of CRL4(Cdt2) during the cell cycle can cause DNA re-replication, which correlates with malignant transformation and tumor growth. CRL4(Cdt2) regulates a broad spectrum of cell cycle substrates for ubiquitination and proteolysis, including Cdc10-dependent transcript 1 or Chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 (Cdt1), histone H4K20 mono-methyltransferase (Set8) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (p21), which regulate DNA replication. However, the mechanism it operates via its substrate receptor, Cdc10-dependent transcript 2 (Cdt2), is not fully understood. This review describes the essential features of the N-terminal and C-terminal parts of Cdt2 that regulate CRL4 ubiquitination activity, including the substrate recognition domain, intrinsically disordered region (IDR), phosphorylation sites, the PCNA-interacting protein-box (PIP) box motif and the DNA binding domain. Drugs targeting these specific domains of Cdt2 could have potential for the treatment of cancer.