Smad3-ATF3 signaling mediates TGF-beta suppression of genes encoding Phase II detoxifying proteins.

This study provides evidence that in mammary epithelial cells the pluripotent cytokine TGF-beta1 repressed expression of multiple genes involved in Phase II detoxification. GCLC, the gene that encodes the catalytic subunit of the enzyme glutamate cysteine ligase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of glutathione, was used as a molecular surrogate for investigating the mechanisms by which TGF-beta suppressed Phase II gene expression. TGF-beta was found to suppress luciferase reporter activity mediated by the human GCLC proximal promoter, as well as reporter activity mediated by the GCLC antioxidant response element, ARE4. TGF-beta downregulated expression of endogenous GCLC mRNA and GCLC protein. TGF-beta suppression of the Phase II genes correlated with a decrease in cellular glutathione and an increase in cellular reactive oxygen species. Ectopic expression of constitutively active Smad3E was sufficient to inhibit both reporters in the absence of TGF-beta, whereas dominant negative Smad3A blocked TGF-beta suppression. Smad3E suppressed Nrf2-mediated activation of the GCLC reporter. We demonstrate that TGF-beta increased ATF3 protein levels, as did transient overexpression of Smad3E. Ectopic expression of ATF3 was sufficient to suppress the GCLC reporter activity, as well as endogenous GCLC expression. These results demonstrate that Smad3-ATF3 signaling mediates TGF-beta repression of ARE-dependent Phase II gene expression and potentially provide critical insight into mechanisms underlying TGF-beta1 function in carcinogenesis, tissue repair, and fibrosis.

NADPH oxidase activity is essential for Keap1/Nrf2-mediated induction of GCLC in response to 2-indol-3-yl-methylenequinuclidin-3-ols.

Glutamate cysteine ligase, the rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of glutathione, represents an important component of chemoprevention paradigms. GCLC and GCLM, the genes encoding glutamate cysteine ligase subunits, are induced by indoles, such as indomethacin. Novel functionalized indole analogues and other structurally related compounds were synthesized and used for a comparative structure analysis of GCLC induction. Use of mouse embryo fibroblasts null for Nrf2 (nuclear factor-erythroid 2p45-related transcription factor) and HepG2 cells overexpressing Keap1 demonstrated that indole analogue-mediated GCLC expression was regulated by Nrf2-Keap1 interactions. Indole analogues capable of inducing GCLC were found to increase NADPH oxidase activity. Indole analogues unable to induce GCLC did not increase oxidase activity. HepG2 cells transfected with FLAG/Keap1 were exposed to indomethacin, and the redox state of Keap1 cysteine residues was assessed. The data indicated that Keap1 exhibited several oxidation states that were sensitive to indomethacin treatment. These indomethacin-mediated changes in thiol oxidation states were suppressed by diphenyleneiodonium, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor. Diphenyleneiodonium also suppressed indole analogue-mediated increases in GCLC mRNA. In summary, the use of the indole analogues identified NADPH oxidase activity as a novel upstream activity regulating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling of GCLC, provided data supporting the hypothesis that Keap1 is a downstream effector for oxidase activity, and afforded in vivo data to support the hypothesis that Keap1 thiols can act as molecular sensors of reactive oxygen species. Finally, the comparative structure analysis suggests that 2-indol-3-yl-methylenequinuclidin-3-ols may represent a prototype for the development of novel chemopreventative agents able to activate Keap1/Nrf2 signaling.

Redox signaling of cardiac HSF1 DNA binding.

Experiments involving chemical induction of the heat shock response in simple biological systems have generated the hypothesis that protein denaturation and consequential binding of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) to proximal heat shock elements (HSEs) on heat shock protein (hsp) genes are the result of oxidation and/or depletion of intracellular thiols. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the role of redox signaling of HSF1 in the intact animal in response to physiological and pharmacological perturbations. Heat shock and exercise induced HSF1-HSE DNA binding in the rat myocardium (P < 0.001) in the absence of changes in reduced glutathione (GSH), the major nonprotein thiol in the cell. Ischemia-reperfusion, which decreased GSH content (P < 0.05), resulted in nonsignificant HSF1-HSE formation. This dissociation between physiological induction of HSF1 and changes in GSH was not gender dependent. Pharmacological ablation of GSH with L-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine (BSO) treatment increased myocardial HSF1-HSE DNA binding in estrogen-naive animals (P = 0.007). Thus, although physiological induction of HSF1-HSE DNA binding is likely regulated by mediators of protein denaturation other than cellular redox status, the proposed signaling pathway may predominate with pharmacological oxidation and may represent a plausible and accessible strategy in the development of HSP-based therapies.

Redox-sensitive interaction between KIAA0132 and Nrf2 mediates indomethacin-induced expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase.

Exposure of HepG2 cells to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (i.e., indomethacin and ibuprofen; NSAIDs) as well as resveratrol, caused increased expression of the mRNAs coding for the catalytic (Gclc) and modifier (Gclm) subunits of the glutathione synthetic enzyme, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase. In addition, indomethacin exposure increased intracellular glutathione content as well as inhibited glutathione depletion and cytotoxicity caused by diethyl maleate. Indomethacin-induced increases in the expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase mRNA were preceded by increases in steady state levels of intracellular pro-oxidants and glutathione disulfide accumulation. Simultaneous incubation with the thiol antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibited indomethacin-mediated increases in GCLC mRNA, suggesting that increases in GCLC message were triggered by changes in intracellular oxidation/reduction (redox) reactions. Indirect immunofluorescence using intact cells demonstrated that indomethacin induced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, a transcription factor believed to regulate GCLC expression. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that indomethacin treatment also inhibited Nrf2 tethering to KIAA0132 (the human homolog of Keap1 accession #D50922), which is believed to be a negative regulator of Nrf2. Consistent with this idea, over-expression of Nrf2 increased GCLC reporter gene expression and over-expression of KIAA0132 inhibited GCLC reporter gene activity as well as inhibited indomethacin-induced increases in the expression of GCLC. Finally, simultaneous treatment with NAC inhibited both indomethacin-induced release of Nrf2 from KIAA0132 and indomethacin-induced nuclear translocation of Nrf2. These results demonstrate that NSAIDs and resveratrol cause increases in the expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase mRNA and identify these agents as being capable of stimulating glutathione metabolism. These results also support the hypothesis that indomethacin-induced transcriptional activation of GCLC involves the redox-dependent release of KIAA0132 from Nrf2 followed by the nuclear translocation of Nrf2.