Cited by 2,377Redox biology and oxidative stressCell death mechanisms and regulationProtein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling

Mammalian thioredoxin is a direct inhibitor of apoptosis signal‐regulating kinase (ASK) 1

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Saitoh, Masao, Nishitoh, Hideki, Fujii, Makiko, Takeda, Kohsuke, Tobiume, Kei, Sawada, Yasuhiro, Kawabata, Masahiro, Miyazono, Kohei +1 more·1998·The EMBO Journal

Abstract

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK) 1 was recently identified as a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase which activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase pathways and is required for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced apoptosis; however, the mechanism regulating ASK1 activity is unknown. Through genetic screening for ASK1-binding proteins, thioredoxin (Trx), a reduction/oxidation (redox)-regulatory protein thought to have anti-apoptotic effects, was identified as an interacting partner of ASK1. Trx associated with the N-terminal portion of ASK1 in vitro and in vivo. Expression of Trx inhibited ASK1 kinase activity and the subsequent ASK1-dependent apoptosis. Treatment of cells with N-acetyl-L-cysteine also inhibited serum withdrawal-, TNF-alpha- and hydrogen peroxide-induced activation of ASK1 as well as apoptosis. The interaction between Trx and ASK1 was found to be highly dependent on the redox status of Trx. Moreover, inhibition of Trx resulted in activation of endogenous ASK1 activity, suggesting that Trx is a physiological inhibitor of ASK1. The evidence that Trx is a negative regulator of ASK1 suggests possible mechanisms for redox regulation of the apoptosis signal transduction pathway as well as the effects of antioxidants against cytokine- and stress-induced apoptosis.

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Crossref · 10.1093/emboj/17.9.2596

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  • Both thioredoxin and glutaredoxin have anti-apoptotic properties through interactions with transcription factors and proteins, such as inhibition of the MAPK cascade by binding to ASK-1 in their reduced state.

    “Both redoxins are also known to have anti-apoptotic properties through interactions with several transcription factors and proteins, such as inhibition of the MAPK cascade by binding to ASK-1 in their reduced state24,35.”

    From Inhibition of the glutaredoxin and thioredoxin systems and ribonucleotide reductase by mutant p53-targeting compound APR-246 (2018) · cites this paper as [24]

    The Introduction and the section ‘Redox status-dependent interaction of Trx and ASK1’ report that reduced thioredoxin binds ASK1, inhibits its kinase activity and reduces ASK1-dependent apoptosis. The paper does not report that glutaredoxin binds ASK1 or inhibits this pathway; glutaredoxin appears only in a reference title. Page numbers were not supplied for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Loss of free thiols in Trx1 leads to the release of ASK1, which activates JNK and p38 MAP kinase pathways and in turn TNF-α-induced apoptosis.

    “Loss of free thiols in Trx1 leads to the release of ASK1, which activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase pathways and in turn TNF-α-induced apoptosis24.”

    From Inhibition of the glutaredoxin and thioredoxin systems and ribonucleotide reductase by mutant p53-targeting compound APR-246 (2018) · cites this paper as [24]

    The Redox status-dependent interaction section reports that reduced Trx binds ASK1 and that oxidation can disrupt the interaction; it also reports TNF-α-induced dissociation. The Introduction identifies ASK1 as an activator of JNK and p38 pathways. But the Conclusion presents oxidation-driven release of ASK1 as a proposed mechanism and says it remains unclear whether TNF-α activates ASK1 primarily through intracellular redox changes, so the claim states that causal sequence more definitively than the paper does. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • ASK1 is inhibited by Trx through protein-protein interactions that maintain ASK1 in an inactive state.

    “ASK1 is inhibited by Trx due to their protein–protein interactions that maintain ASK1 in an inactive state (365).”

    From Redox regulation of mitochondrial function (2012) · cites this paper as [365]

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Authors
Saitoh, M., Nishitoh, H., Fujii, M., Takeda, K., Tobiume, K., Sawada, Y., Kawabata, M., Miyazono, K., & Ichijo, H.
Affiliations
  • Japanese Foundation For Cancer Research (JP)
  • Tokyo Medical and Dental University (JP)
Corresponding author
Saitoh, Masao
Venue
The EMBO Journal
Published
1998-05-01
Volume
17
Issue
9
Pages
2596-2606
ISSN
  • 0261-4189 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2075
OpenAlex
W1969268163
Cited by
2,377
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 60 · 2019: 65 · 2018: 67 · 2017: 99 · 2016: 81 · 2015: 94 · 2014: 104 · 2013: 86 · 2012: 123
FWCI
23.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The EMBO Journal (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Redox biology and oxidative stress
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Cell death mechanisms and regulation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling
Keywords
thioredoxin, ASK1, MAP kinase kinase kinase, redox regulation, protein-protein interaction, kinase inhibition, TNF-induced apoptosis, N-acetylcysteine, antioxidants, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38 MAPK, hydrogen peroxide, serum deprivation
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Cell Line, Chlorides, Enzyme Activation, Enzyme Inhibitors, Humans, Hydrogen Peroxide, L Cells, Mammals, Oxidation-Reduction, Recombinant Proteins, Thioredoxins, Transfection, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Signal Transduction, Culture Media, Serum-Free, Apoptosis, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases, Zinc Compounds, MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases, Mice

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