The project “Investigation of molecular function, regulatory mechanism and disease correlation of ubiquitin ligases”,which was jointly carried out by Institute for Advancing Translational Medicinein Bone & Joint Diseases, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences(AMMS), has won the first prize of “2013 Beijing Science and Technology Awards”. Dr. Zhang Ge, asone of the major participants, has been awarded with the honor certificate.

Ubiquitin-proteasome system is the major protein degradation pathway and plays an important role in the development of many diseases. This project reveals that CKIP-1, as an auxiliary factor of HECT-type E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1, can enhance the activation of Smurf1 andinhibit bone formation. SCFFBXL15, as a negative regulator of Smurf1, can promote the degradation of Smurf1 and enhance bone formation. Osteogenic CKIP-1 siRNA delivered by (DSS) 6-liposome can approach bone formation surface for targeting osteoblasts and promote bone anabolic action. In addition, this project also discovers the critical mechanism of Ring-type ubiquitin ligase(e.g.APC/C and SIAH1) in tumor progression.

This project reveals the molecular function, regulatory mechanism and disease correlation of ubiquitin ligases and provides various potential molecule targets for the therapy of osteoporosis and tumors.