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51.3 The UPS and the Cytoprotective Transcription Factor, Nrf2
Not only does the UPS mediate the degradation of misfolded and damaged proteins, but it also functions to counter the deleterious effects of oxidative stress in other ways. Perhaps most importantly for the retina is the role that the UPS plays in regulating the stability of nuclear-factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 is a critical anti-oxidant transcription factor that binds to a cis-acting regulatory element, called the antioxidant response element (ARE), embedded in the promoters of phase 2 genes. Phase 2 genes encode detoxification enzymes and other factors responsible for eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, in response to an oxidative stress, Nrf2 induces the expression of an anti-oxidant defense system that re-establishes redox homeostasis (all reviewed in Li and Kong 2009).
The degradation of Nrf2 by the UPS is directly coupled to cellular redox state (Nguyen et al. 2003). That is, in the absence of an oxidative insult, Nrf2 is constitutively destroyed by the UPS. Oxidative stress, however, arrests this degradation, and the stabilized Nrf2 is now able to translocate into the nucleus and induce phase 2 gene transcription (Fig. 51.3). This control of Nrf2 stability can be readily observed in vivo by comparing the steady levels of Nrf2 in the presence and absence of either a proteasome inhibitor (e.g., MG132) or chemical inducers of oxidative stress (e.g., tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ)) (Fig. 51.4). Nrf2 degradation during redox home-
ostasis is mediated by a specific UPS E3 ligase called CUL3Keap1 (Kobayashi et al. 2004). CUL3Keap1 is comprised of three core proteins–cullin 3 (CUL3), Keap1, and
ROC1 (Fig. 51.5). CUL3 is a scaffold. Through its C-terminal domain, it binds the RING-finger protein, ROC1. ROC1 recruits and coordinates an Ub-charged E2 into the complex. The N-terminal domain of CUL3 binds the substrate adaptor, Keap1.
Fig. 51.3 The stability and activity of Nrf2 are redox-sensitive. Nrf2 is constitutively degraded by CUL3Keap1 and the 26S proteasome in the absence of stress but is stabilized in response to
oxidative stress. Stabilized Nrf2 induces the expression of a battery of anti-oxidant genes
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Fig. 51.4 Nrf2 stability is controlled by cellular redox status and by the UPS. a-Nrf2 western blot demonstrating that endogenous Nrf2 in RPE-1 cells is stabilized by oxidative stress (TBHQ) or by proteasome inhibition (MG132). ETOH and DMSO are the vehicles for TBHQ and MG132, respectively. The asterisk marks a non-specific band
Fig. 51.5 Nrf2 ubiquitylation is mediated by the multi-subunit E3 ligase CUL3Keap1. Step 1: Ub
is activated by the E1 enzyme in an ATP-dependent manner. Step 2: The activated Ub is transferred to an E2 enzyme. Step 3: The Ub-charged E2 is recruited to the ROC1 component of CUL3Keap1 and directly transfers Ub to Nrf2. Nrf2 is recruited to CUL3Keap1 by the Keap1 substrate adaptor.
The small ball on CUL3 is Nedd8, a Ub-like protein that regulates the activity of CUL3-based E3 ligases
Keap1, in turn, recruits Nrf2 into the complex. Ub-modified Nrf2 is subsequently degraded by the 26S proteasome. The capacity of CUL3Keap1 to conjugate polyUb chains to Nrf2 is regulated by a small Ub-like modifier called Nedd8. Nedd8 is covalently attached and then removed from CUL3 by a dedicated set of enzymes and this dynamic cycling is required for Nrf2 ubiquitylation (all reviewed in Bosu and Kipreos 2008).
Strategies to potentiate the cytoprotective activity of Nrf2 have centered on stabilizing the transcription factor by repressing CUL3Keap1 function. CUL3Keap1
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repression in vivo can be accomplished through multiple mechanisms all of which culminate in the dissociation of the Keap1:Nrf2 complex from CUL3. The best characterized of these mechanisms is predicated on modifying redox-sensitive cysteine residues within Keap1 (Dinkova-Kostova et al. 2002; Levonen et al. 2004). In particular, Cys151 of Keap1 has been definitively shown to function as a redox sensor that mediates the binding of Keap1 to CUL3 (Eggler et al. 2007; Zhang et al. 2004). Current models support the notion that oxidant-induced modification of Cys151 dissociates Keap1:CUL3 binding and results in Nrf2 stabilization. As predicted for a redox sensor, mutation of this cysteine to serine blocks the capacity of Keap1 to detect alterations in intracellular redox status and to promote the dissociation of Keap1:Nrf2 from CUL3 in response to oxidative stress (Zhang and Hannink 2003; Zhang et al. 2004). Thus, Nrf2 is not efficiently stabilized in cells expressing Keap1 (C151S) following an oxidative insult (Yamamoto et al. 2008). This same cysteine is also targeted by the dietary anti-oxidant, sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables (Zhang et al. 2004). In this way, sulforaphane-modified Keap1 functionally mimics an oxidant stress and results in the stabilization and activation of Nrf2 in homeostatic cells.
The central role of Nrf2 in protecting and preserving retinal health and function has been revealed through recent studies exploring the therapeutic potential of sulforaphane. Sulforaphane administration has been demonstrated to protect against photoreceptor degeneration in rodent models of experimental light stress (e.g., Tanito et al. 2005; Kong et al. 2007). In addition, the Talalay laboratory (the discoverers of sulforaphane) (Zhang et al. 1992) has shown that the compound can protect cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells from photooxidative damage (Gao and Talalay 2004). These studies and others support the idea that sulforaphane could have potential clinical utility in preventing and/or slowing the progress of retinal degeneration in AMD patients. Furthermore, they provide a rationale for further pursuing strategies to enhance Nrf2 stabilization by manipulating the UPS. Unlike dietary anti-oxidants, which require high doses, do not specifically target the retina, and require frequent administration, ocular gene therapy-based approaches targeting particular UPS enzymes in either the RPE or photoreceptors could potentially overcome these shortcomings and greatly advance efforts to prevent AMD and/or retard its progression.
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