PSME3 regulates migration and differentiation of myoblasts

The acquisition of cellular identity requires large-scale alterations in cellular state. The noncanonical proteasome activator PSME3 is known to regulate diverse cellular processes, but its importance for differentiation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that PSME3 binds dynamically to highly active promoters over the course of differentiation. However, loss of PSME3 does not globally affect mRNA transcription. We find instead that PSME3 influences the levels of several adhesion-related proteins and acts upstream of the HSP90 co-chaperone NUDC to regulate cell motility and myoblast differentiation in a proteasome-independent manner. Our findings reveal several new facets of PSME3 functionality and highlight its importance for the differentiation of myogenic cells.