Pervasive phenotypic effects of FBXO42 controlled by regulation of PP4 phosphatase

F-box proteins are the substrate recognition modules of the SCF (SKP1–Cullin– F-box) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. FBXO42, an understudied member of this family, has recently emerged as a modulator of key cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, DNA damage response and glioma stem cell survival. In this study, we define the function of FBXO42 as a major regulator of the protein phosphatase PP4. Phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPs) have a broad array of substrates, hence necessitating tight regulation. We observe that FBXO42 ubiquitinates the PP4 complex to govern the assembly of regulatory and catalytic subunits with the net effect of restraining the latter’s phosphatase activity. FBXO42 depletion unleashes PP4 activity with broad cellular effects highlighting FBXO42 as a novel regulatory node in ubiquitin-mediated signalling for future therapeutic exploitation.