scholarly journals Curcumin activates the haem oxygenase-1 gene via regulation of Nrf2 and the antioxidant-responsive element

2003 ◽  
Vol 371 (3) ◽  
pp. 887-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth BALOGUN ◽  
Martha HOQUE ◽  
Pengfei GONG ◽  
Erin KILLEEN ◽  
Colin J. GREEN ◽  
...  

The transcription factor Nrf2, which normally exists in an inactive state as a consequence of binding to a cytoskeleton-associated protein Keap1, can be activated by redox-dependent stimuli. Alteration of the Nrf2–Keap1 interaction enables Nrf2 to translocate to the nucleus, bind to the antioxidant-responsive element (ARE) and initiate the transcription of genes coding for detoxifying enzymes and cytoprotective proteins. This response is also triggered by a class of electrophilic compounds including polyphenols and plant-derived constituents. Recently, the natural antioxidants curcumin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) have been identified as potent inducers of haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a redox-sensitive inducible protein that provides protection against various forms of stress. Here, we show that in renal epithelial cells both curcumin and CAPE stimulate the expression of Nrf2 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. This effect was associated with a significant increase in HO-1 protein expression and haem oxygenase activity. From several lines of investigation we also report that curcumin (and, by inference, CAPE) stimulates ho-1 gene activity by promoting inactivation of the Nrf2–Keap1 complex, leading to increased Nrf2 binding to the resident ho-1 AREs. Moreover, using antibodies and specific inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, we provide data implicating p38 MAPK in curcumin-mediated ho-1 induction. Taken together, these results demonstrate that induction of HO-1 by curcumin and CAPE requires the activation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway.

2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (6) ◽  
pp. L1324-L1329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Kulisz ◽  
Ningfang Chen ◽  
Navdeep S. Chandel ◽  
Zuohui Shao ◽  
Paul T. Schumacker

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is phosphorylated in response to oxidative stress. Mitochondria in cardiomyocytes increase their generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during hypoxia (1–5% O2). These ROS participate in signal transduction pathways involved in adaptive responses, including ischemic preconditioning and gene transcription. The present study therefore tested the hypothesis that hypoxia induces p38 MAPK phosphorylation by augmenting mitochondrial ROS generation. In cardiomyocytes, phosphorylation of p38 was observed in a Po 2-dependent manner during hypoxia. This response was inhibited by rotenone, thenoyltrifluoroacetone, and myxothiazol, inhibitors of mitochondrial complexes I, II, and III, respectively. A similar inhibition was observed in the cells pretreated with anion channel inhibitor DIDS, which may block ROS release from mitochondria. During normoxia, increases in mitochondrial ROS elicited by azide (1–2 mM) or by the mitochondrial inhibitor antimycin A caused increased phosphorylation of p38. Brief treatment with exogenous H2O2 during normoxia also induced phosphorylation of p38 as hypoxia, but this effect was not abolished by myxothiazol or DIDS. The antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine abolished the p38 response to hypoxia, presumably by scavenging H2O2, but the mitogen extracellular receptor kinase inhibitor PD-98059 did not inhibit p38 phosphorylation during hypoxia. Thus physiological hypoxia leads to p38 phosphorylation through a mechanism that requires electron flux in the proximal region of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, which suggests that either H2O2 or superoxide participates in activating that process.


2012 ◽  
Vol 442 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagar Darvekar ◽  
Sylvia Sagen Johnsen ◽  
Agnete Bratsberg Eriksen ◽  
Terje Johansen ◽  
Eva Sjøttem

Transcriptional regulation requires co-ordinated action of transcription factors, co-activator complexes and general transcription factors to access specific loci in the dense chromatin structure. In the present study we demonstrate that the transcriptional co-regulator SPBP [stromelysin-1 PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor)-responsive element binding protein] contains two independent chromatin-binding domains, the SPBP-(1551–1666) region and the C-terminal extended PHD [ePHD/ADD (extended plant homeodomain/ATRX-DNMT3-DNMT3L)] domain. The region 1551–1666 is a novel core nucleosome-interaction domain located adjacent to the AT-hook motif in the DNA-binding domain. This novel nucleosome-binding region is critically important for proper localization of SPBP in the cell nucleus. The ePHD/ADD domain associates with nucleosomes in a histone tail-dependent manner, and has significant impact on the dynamic interaction between SPBP and chromatin. Furthermore, SPBP and its homologue RAI1 (retinoic-acid-inducible protein 1), are strongly enriched on chromatin in interphase HeLa cells, and both proteins display low nuclear mobility. RAI1 contains a region with homology to the novel nucleosome-binding region SPBP-(1551–1666) and an ePHD/ADD domain with ability to bind nucleosomes. These results indicate that the transcriptional co-regulator SPBP and its homologue RAI1 implicated in Smith–Magenis syndrome and Potocki–Lupski syndrome both belong to the expanding family of chromatin-binding proteins containing several domains involved in specific chromatin interactions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4211
Author(s):  
Yen-Tze Liu ◽  
Hsin-Yu Ho ◽  
Chia-Chieh Lin ◽  
Yi-Ching Chuang ◽  
Yu-Sheng Lo ◽  
...  

Platyphyllenone is a type of diarylheptanoid that exhibits anti-inflammatory and chemoprotective effects. However, its effect on oral cancer remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether platyphyllenone can promote apoptosis and autophagy in SCC-9 and SCC-47 cells. We found that it dose-dependently promoted the cleavage of PARP; caspase-3, -8, and -9 protein expression; and also led to cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Platyphyllenone up-regulated LC3-II and p62 protein expression in both SCC-9 and SCC-47 cell lines, implying that it can induce autophagy. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that platyphyllenone significantly decreased p-AKT and increased p-JNK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner. The specific inhibitors of p-JNK1/2 also reduced platyphyllenone-induced cleavage of PARP, caspase-3, and caspase -8, LC3-II and p62 protein expression. These findings are the first to demonstrate that platyphyllenone can induce both autophagy and apoptosis in oral cancers, and it is expected to provide a therapeutic option as a chemopreventive agent against oral cancer proliferation.


Hypertension ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 36 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 679-679
Author(s):  
Quy N Diep ◽  
Rhian M Touyz ◽  
Ernesto L Schiffrin

9 Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) exert a blood pressure-lowering effect in hypertension, possibly by influencing vascular structure. We previously demonstrated that n-3 FAs might induce vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis, which could exert an effect on structure of blood vessels. This study investigated signaling pathways through which n-3 FAs mediate apoptosis in VSMCs. Cultured Mesenteric VSMCs from Sprague Dawley rats were stimulated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a representative n-3 FA. Morphological changes of apoptosis and DNA fragmentation were examined by phase-contrast microscopy and fluorescence microscopy with Hoechst 33342 staining. To clarify possible pathways of apoptosis, expression of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 MAPKs), bax, bcl-2, cytochrome C and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-α (PPARs-α) was evaluated by Western blot analysis. DHA treatment induced cell shrinkage, cell membrane blebbing and apoptotic bodies in VSMCs. DHA increased apoptosis (%) in a time-dependent manner to 1.5±0.1, 3.6±0.5, 7.1±0.4, 22.5±0.6, 50.8±1.8 and 61.4±0.9 after 0, 1, 3, 6, 17, and 24 h, respectively. DHA time-dependently activated p38 MAPKs, bax, PPARs-α and cytochrome C with maximal effects obtained after 5, 30 min, 1 h and 3 h, respectively to 551±42, 245±55, 310±12 and 407±14.7 % of controls, respectively. SB-203580 (10 -5 M) and SB-202190 (10 -5 M), selective p38 inhibitors, reduced DHA-elicited apoptosis and expression of PPARs-α, but had no effect on expression of bax or cytochrome C. The present results indicate that DHA induces apoptosis in VSMCs through at least two distinct mechanisms: (i) a p38-dependent pathway that regulates PPAR-α and (ii) a p38-independent pathway via dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential. The death-signaling pathway mediated by DHA may involve an integration of these multiple pathways. By triggering VSMC apoptosis, DHA could play a pathophysiological role in vascular remodeling in cardiovascular disease.


2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyu Hou ◽  
Wenhui Wang ◽  
Feizi Hu ◽  
Yuanxing Zhang ◽  
Dahai Yang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacterial phosphothreonine lyases have been identified to be type III secretion system (T3SS) effectors that irreversibly dephosphorylate host mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling to promote infection. However, the effects of phosphothreonine lyase on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling remain largely unknown. In this study, we detected significant phosphothreonine lyase-dependent p65 degradation during Edwardsiella piscicida infection in macrophages, and this degradative effect was blocked by the protease inhibitor MG132. Further analysis revealed that phosphothreonine lyase promotes the dephosphorylation and ubiquitination of p65 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase-1 (MSK1) and by inhibiting the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), p38α, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Moreover, we revealed that the catalytic active site of phosphothreonine lyase plays a critical role in regulating the MAPK-MSK1-p65 signaling axis. Collectively, the mechanism described here expands our understanding of the pathogenic effector in not only regulating MAPK signaling but also regulating p65. These findings uncover a new mechanism by which pathogenic bacteria overcome host innate immunity to promote pathogenesis.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 854-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrine Marchetti ◽  
Clotilde Gimond ◽  
Jean-Claude Chambard ◽  
Thomas Touboul ◽  
Danièle Roux ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatases (MKPs) are dual-specificity phosphatases that dephosphorylate phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine residues within MAP kinases. Here, we describe a novel posttranslational mechanism for regulating MKP-3/Pyst1/DUSP6, a member of the MKP family that is highly specific for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) inactivation. Using a fibroblast model in which the expression of either MKP-3 or a more stable MKP-3-green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimera was induced by tetracycline, we found that serum induces the phosphorylation of MKP-3 and its subsequent degradation by the proteasome in a MEK1 and MEK2 (MEK1/2)-ERK1/2-dependent manner. In vitro phosphorylation assays using glutathione S-transferase (GST)-MKP-3 fusion proteins indicated that ERK2 could phosphorylate MKP-3 on serines 159 and 197. Tetracycline-inducible cell clones expressing either single or double serine mutants of MKP-3 or MKP-3-GFP confirmed that these two sites are targeted by the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 module in vivo. Double serine mutants of MKP-3 or MKP-3-GFP were more efficiently protected from degradation than single mutants or wild-type MKP-3, indicating that phosphorylation of either serine by ERK1/2 enhances proteasomal degradation of MKP-3. Hence, double mutation caused a threefold increase in the half-life of MKP-3. Finally, we show that the phosphorylation of MKP-3 has no effect on its catalytic activity. Thus, ERK1/2 exert a positive feedback loop on their own activity by promoting the degradation of MKP-3, one of their major inactivators in the cytosol, a situation opposite to that described for the nuclear phosphatase MKP-1.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinpeng Lv ◽  
Songzhou Jiang ◽  
Ying Yang ◽  
Ximei Zhang ◽  
Rongyin Gao ◽  
...  

FGIN-1-27 is a synthetic mitochondrial diazepam binding inhibitor receptor (MDR) agonist that has demonstrated pro-apoptotic, anti-anxiety, and steroidogenic activity in various studies. Here we report, for the first time, the anti-melanogenic efficacy of FGIN-1-27 in vitro and in vivo. FGIN-1-27 significantly inhibited basal and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-, 1-Oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG)- and Endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced melanogenesis without cellular toxicity. Mushroom tyrosinase activity assay showed that FGIN-1-27 did not directly inhibit tyrosinase activity, which suggested that FGIN-1-27 was not a direct inhibitor of tyrosinase. Although it was not capable of modulating the catalytic activity of mushroom tyrosinase in vitro, FGIN-1-27 downregulated the expression levels of key proteins that function in melanogenesis. FGIN-1-27 played these functions mainly by suppressing the PKA/CREB, PKC-β, and MAPK pathways. Once inactivated, it decreased the expression of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and inhibited the tyrosinase activity, finally inhibiting melanogenesis. During in vivo experiments, FGIN-1-27 inhibited the body pigmentation of zebrafish and reduced UVB-induced hyperpigmentation in guinea pig skin, but not a reduction of numbers of melanocytes. Our findings indicated that FGIN-1-27 exhibited no cytotoxicity and inhibited melanogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo models. It may prove quite useful as a safer skin-whitening agent.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi-Sook Lee ◽  
Young Han Kim ◽  
Bo-ram Lee ◽  
Seung-Hae Kwon ◽  
Won-Jin Moon ◽  
...  

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis that has a variety of potential pharmacological effects. Although we previously demonstrated that propolis has antidepressant-like activity, the effect of CAPE on this activity remains unknown. The present study assessed whether treatment with CAPE (5, 10, and 20 µmol/kg for 21 days) has an antidepressant-like effect in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress via tail suspension (TST) and forced swim (FST) tests. CAPE administration induced behaviors consistent with an antidepressant effect, evidenced by decreased immobility in the TST and FST independent of any effect on serum corticosterone secretion. Western blots, conducted subsequent to behavioral assessment, revealed that CAPE significantly decreased glucocorticoid receptor phosphorylation at S234 (pGR(S234)), resulting in an increased pGR(S220/S234) ratio. We also observed negative correlations between pGR(S220)/(S234) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) phosphorylation, which was decreased by CAPE treatment. These findings suggest that CAPE treatment exerts an antidepressant-like effect via downregulation of p38MAPK phosphorylation, thereby contributing to enhanced GR function.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Wälchli ◽  
Sigrid S. Skånland ◽  
Tone F. Gregers ◽  
Silje U. Lauvrak ◽  
Maria L. Torgersen ◽  
...  

Shiga toxin (Stx) binds to the cell, and it is transported via endosomes and the Golgi apparatus to the endoplasmic reticulum and cytosol, where it exerts its toxic effect. We have recently shown that Stx activates the tyrosine kinase Syk, which in turn induces clathrin phosphorylation and up-regulates Stx uptake. Here, we show that toxin-induced signaling can also regulate another step in intracellular Stx transport. We demonstrate that transport of Stx to the Golgi apparatus is dependent on the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38. Treatment of cells with chemical inhibitors or small interfering RNA targeting p38 inhibited Stx transport to the Golgi and reduced Stx toxicity. This p38 dependence is specific to Stx, because transport of the related toxin ricin was not affected by p38 inhibition. Stx rapidly activated p38, and recruited it to early endosomes in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Furthermore, agonist-induced oscillations in cytosolic Ca2+levels were inhibited upon Stx stimulation, possibly reflecting Stx-dependent local alterations in cytosolic Ca2+levels. Intracellular transport of Stx is Ca2+dependent, and we provide evidence that Stx activates a signaling cascade involving cross talk between Ca2+and p38, to regulate its trafficking to the Golgi apparatus.


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