Cited by 1,141Genomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stressRedox biology and oxidative stressUbiquitin and proteasome pathways

Keap1-dependent proteasomal degradation of transcription factor Nrf2 contributes to the negative regulation of antioxidant response element-driven gene expression

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McMahon, Michael, Itoh, Ken, Yamamoto, Masayuki, Hayes, John D.·2003·Journal of Biological Chemistry

Abstract

Keap1 is a negative regulator of Nrf2, a bZIP transcription factor that mediates adaptation to oxidative stress. Previous studies suggested this negative regulation is a consequence of Keap1 controlling the subcellular distribution of Nrf2. We now report that Keap1 also controls the total cellular level of Nrf2 protein. In the RL34 non-transformed rat liver cell line, Nrf2 was found to accumulate rapidly in response to oxidative stress caused by treatment with sulforaphane, and the accumulation resulted from inhibition of proteasomal-mediated degradation of the bZIP protein. By heterologously expressing in COS1 cells epitope-tagged Nrf2 and an Nrf2DeltaETGE mutant lacking the Keap1-binding site, in both the presence and absence of Keap1 we demonstrate that Nrf2 is subject to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation independently of both Keap1 and the redox environment of the cell. In oxidatively stressed cells, this is the sole mechanism responsible for Nrf2 degradation. However, under homeostatic conditions Nrf2 is subject to a substantially more rapid mode of proteasomal degradation than it is in oxidatively stressed cells, and this rapid turnover of Nrf2 requires it to interact with Keap1. Within Nrf2, the N-terminal Neh2 domain is identified as the redox-sensitive degron. These data suggest that Keap1 negatively regulates Nrf2 by both enhancing its rate of proteasomal degradation and altering its subcellular distribution.

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Crossref · 10.1074/jbc.m300931200

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  • Nrf2 is negatively regulated by Keap1, which binds Nrf2 in the cytosol to facilitate its polyubiquitination by the Cul3 E3 ubiquitin ligase for proteasomal degradation.

    “Nrf2 regulates the expression of a multitude of antioxidant and phase II enzyme genes and is negatively regulated by Kelch-like ECH-associated protein (Keap1) [49], a substrate adaptor protein that binds to Nrf2 in the cytosol to facilitate its polyubiquitination by the Cullin 3 (Cul3) E3 ubiquitin ligase for proteasomal degradation [50,51,52].”

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Authors
McMahon, M., Itoh, K., Yamamoto, M., & Hayes, J. D.
Affiliations
  • University of Dundee (GB)
  • University of Tsukuba (JP)
Corresponding author
McMahon, Michael
Venue
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2003-06
Volume
278
Issue
24
Pages
21592-21600
ISSN
0021-9258 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2040114786
Cited by
1,141
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 39 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 57 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 56 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 67 · 2016: 65 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 60 · 2013: 50 · 2012: 45
FWCI
14.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Discovery Research Portal (University of Dundee) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stress
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Redox biology and oxidative stress
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
Keywords
Keap1, Nrf2, proteasomal degradation, ubiquitination, oxidative stress, antioxidant response element, bZIP transcription factors, subcellular localization, sulforaphane, hepatocytes
MeSH terms
Animals, Epitopes, Antioxidants, Binding Sites, Carrier Proteins, Cell Line, Cell Nucleus, Cysteine Endopeptidases, DNA-Binding Proteins, Escherichia coli, Gene Expression Regulation, Multienzyme Complexes, Oxidation-Reduction, Plasmids, Protein Binding, RNA, Messenger, Subcellular Fractions, Sulfoxides, Thiocyanates, Time Factors, Transcription, Genetic, Transfection, Immunoblotting, Trans-Activators, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Isothiocyanates, Genes, Reporter, Oxidative Stress, COS Cells, Response Elements, Ubiquitin, Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex, NF-E2-Related Factor 2, Rats

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