血管内皮Nrf2-ARE通路调控的研究进展与展望

核因子E2相关因子2(nuclear factor E2-related factor 2,Nrf2)是一种对细胞氧化应激十分敏感的基因转录因子,可诱导依赖抗氧化反应元件(ARE)的多种抗氧化蛋白的合成;Nrf2由Kelch样ECH相关蛋白1(Keap1)扣押于胞浆并被转运至26S蛋白酶体降解,从而维持在生理状态下Nrf2的低转录活性;创伤及氧化应激可诱导Nrf2从Keap1解离并转位至胞核,从而启动下游靶基因的转录激活.由蛋白激酶C(PKC)、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)、肌酸激酶2(CK2)等蛋白激酶介导的Nrf2磷酸化、亲电子物质对Keap1巯基的修饰,以及泛素-蛋白酶体系统均与Nrf2-ARE通路的转录调控有关.     

氧化和化学应激的防御性转导通路——Nrf2/ARE

Nrf2/ARE是近年新发现的机体抵抗内外界氧化和化学等刺激的防御性转导通路．生理条件下,NF-E2相关因子2(Nrf2,NF-E2-related factor 2)在细胞质中与Keap1结合处于非活性、易降解的状态.在内外界自由基和化学物质刺激时,Keap1的构象改变或者Nrf2直接被磷酸化,导致Nrf2与Keap1解离而活化．活化的Nrf2进入细胞核,与抗氧化反应元件(ARE)结合,启动ARE下游的Ⅱ相解毒酶、抗氧化蛋白、蛋白酶体/分子伴侣等基因转录和表达以抵抗内外界的有害刺激．MAPK、PI3K/AKT、PKC等信号通路分子广泛参与了Nrf2的活化和核转位过程,但是具体何种通路被激动、何种通路发挥主导作用,取决于刺激物种类、刺激方式和细胞类型．本文就Nrf2分子结构、Nrf2活化机制、Nrf2/ARE调控的下游基因、与Nrf2相关的信号通路分子以及其在肿瘤、炎症、衰老等应用领域的最新进展进行综述．     

Nrf2的代谢调节作用与肿瘤的生长和增殖

核转录因子Nrf2[nuclear factor erythroid 2(NFE2)related factor 2]是细胞内重要的调节因子。通过与Keap1(Kelch-like-ECH associated protein 1)蛋白质的相互作用,Nrf2可以调控下游基因转录,发挥抗氧化应激、维持细胞内稳态的功能,而Nrf2在肿瘤细胞中的表达与肿瘤的发生发展具有重要关系。Nrf2通过调节肿瘤细胞代谢模式调控细胞生长和增殖,近年来成为了细胞生物学和肿瘤生物学领域的研究热点之一。该文介绍了Nrf2对于活性氧分子产生与清除以及多种物质代谢途径的调控作用,着重阐明Nrf2的代谢调节作用对肿瘤细胞生长增殖的影响及其与肿瘤耐药的关系,旨在为今后的临床研究提供更多信息。     

人源LDHA基因启动子质粒的构建及在肺癌细胞中Nrf2对其转录表达调控和功能分析

为探索核因子E2相关因子2(nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2,Nrf2)调节肿瘤代谢进而影响肿瘤细胞迁移的分子机制,着重研究了Nrf2对乳酸脱氢酶A(lactate dehydrogenase A,LDHA)表达的调控。首先成功构建了人源LDHA基因启动子萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因质粒LDHA-luc。将质粒LDHA-luc与Nrf2表达载体共同转染A549细胞,转染后经双荧光素酶报告基因系统检测,显示共转Nrf2质粒时LDHA-luc活性明显要比对照组高;同时,转染Nrf2质粒时LDHA的蛋白质表达水平明显高于对照组,表明在A549细胞中Nrf2促进LDHA的转录和表达。而LDHA的上调会促进酸性肿瘤微环境的形成,促进细胞迁移。因此,成功构建的人源LDHA基因启动子萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因质粒LDHA-luc及探索出的Nrf2对LDHA基因表达的调控,为进一步研究Nrf2通过LDHA影响细胞代谢进而促进细胞迁移奠定了基础。     

AhR与Nrf2基因相互作用的分子机制研究进展

芳香烃受体(Aryl hydrocarbon receptor,AhR)作为一种配体依赖性激活的转录因子,调控肿瘤细胞的生长、增殖和凋亡,对环境中毒物和异物质代谢、机体免疫调节具有重要作用.核因子E2-相关因子2(Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2,Nrf2)是氧化还...     

氧化还原内稳态关键因子Nrf2对新陈代谢的调节作用北大核心CSCD

核转录因子红细胞系2-p45相关因子2(nuclear factor-erythroid 2-p45 related factor 2,Nrf2)是调控细胞氧化还原稳态的重要转录因子。除了调节氧化应激反应外,近年来,Nrf2在代谢调节中的重要作用也备受关注。文章重点综述了Nrf2调控细胞的糖代谢、脂代谢、核酸代谢和氨基酸代谢的方式,并论述了Nrf2失调导致的多种代谢相关疾病,包括糖尿病、脂肪肝、帕金森氏症和肿瘤。最后,讨论了代谢压力介导的Nrf2活性改变与长寿、肿瘤防治及压力应激的关系。     

Fisetin对H_2O_2诱导细胞内ROS的清除作用及机制探讨

活性氧(reactive oxygen species, ROS)在非酒精性脂肪肝、心血管疾病、癌症、糖尿病等疾病发生发展的过程中具有重要作用。HepG2细胞是评价抗氧化剂对活细胞氧化损伤保护作用的常用细胞模型。为了探讨非瑟酮(fisetin)对H_2O_2诱导细胞内ROS的清除作用及其机制,将HepG2细胞随机分为空白对照组(control)、溶剂对照组(solvent control)、H_2O_2模型组(H_2O_2model group)、fisetin干预组(fisetin+H_2O_2)、fisetin单独处理组(fisetin),检测不同干预组细胞存活率大小及细胞内ROS水平,同时检测核因子E2相关因子2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, Nrf2)、Kelch样ECH相关蛋白1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, Keap1)及Ⅱ相酶血红素氧合酶-1 (heme oxygenase-1, HO-1)、谷氨酰半胱氨酸连接酶催化亚基(glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit,GCLC)、谷氨酰半胱氨酸连接酶修饰亚基(glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit, GCLM)、醌氧化还原酶1(NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1, NQO1)的表达。此外,通过构建Nrf2敲低细胞系,进一步明确Nrf2在fisetin清除ROS过程中的作用。研究发现,与H_2O_2模型组相比, fisetin干预组细胞存活率显著上升; fisetin可抑制由H_2O_2引起的HepG2细胞内ROS的增加,上调Nrf2、HO-1蛋白表达,并下调Keap1蛋白表达; Nrf2稳定敲低后,细胞内ROS水平增加。实验结果表明, fisetin可能通过激活Keap1/Nrf2/抗氧化反应元件(antioxidant response element, ARE)通路诱导HO-1的表达,从而在抗氧化损伤过程中发挥细胞保护作用。     

氧化还原内稳态关键因子Nrf2对新陈代谢的调节作用

核转录因子红细胞系2-p45相关因子2(nuclear factor-erythroid 2-p45 related factor 2,Nrf2)是调控细胞氧化还原稳态的重要转录因子。除了调节氧化应激反应外,近年来,Nrf2在代谢调节中的重要作用也备受关注。文章重点综述了Nrf2调控细胞的糖代谢、脂代谢、核酸代谢和氨基酸代谢的方式,并论述了Nrf2失调导致的多种代谢相关疾病,包括糖尿病、脂肪肝、帕金森氏症和肿瘤。最后,讨论了代谢压力介导的Nrf2活性改变与长寿、肿瘤防治及压力应激的关系。     

Nrf2及天然产物导向的Nrf2激活剂研究进展

氧化应激能够破坏细胞内氧化还原平衡,造成系统和组织损伤,最终引起一系列疾病的产生。转录因子E2相关因子2(Nrf2),受Kelch样环氧氯丙烷相关蛋白1(Keap1)蛋白的调控,是细胞氧化应激反应中的关键因子,在氧化应激条件下,Nrf2从Keap1中分离,然后进入细胞核与抗氧化反应元件(ARE)结合,增加了Ⅱ相解毒酶的表达,保护细胞免受氧化损伤。天然产物对于药物发现具有重要意义,研究显示,Nrf2激活剂绝大多数也是天然产物或天然产物的衍生物。本文介绍Nrf2-Keap1信号通路的作用机制以及常见的天然产物导向的Nrf2激活剂。     

Nrf2在阿尔茨海默病中的研究现状

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)是最常见的神经系统变性疾病,主要病理特征为细胞外老年斑(senile plaques,SP)和细胞内神经原纤维缠结(neurofibrillary tangles,NFT)形成.但其发病机制不清,涉及多种病理学变化如炎症反应、氧化应激、线粒体功能障碍、细胞凋亡以及突触功能障碍等.核因子E2相关因子2(nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2,Nrf2)是经典的调控机体抗氧化应激反应的核转录因子.Nrf2激活后诱导抗氧化蛋白的表达,提高机体的抗氧化应激能力.随着Nrf2抗氧化应激作用研究的深入,发现Nrf2不仅能够通过抗氧化应激延缓AD的发生发展,且在AD的病理性沉积物的清除、抗炎、抗凋亡、神经营养等方面扮演着重要的角色.近年来,由于多种针对单一靶点的抗AD药物临床试验的失败,有学者提出Nrf2可能是实现AD多靶点疗法的重要因子.因此,本文对Nrf2在AD中的研究现状做一综述,为寻找治疗AD潜在的生物学靶点提供理论依据.     

Molecular basis of the Keap1–Nrf2 system

Nrf2 (NF-E2-related factor 2) is a master regulator of cellular responses against environmental stresses. Nrf2 induces the expression of detoxification and antioxidant enzymes, and Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1), an adaptor subunit of Cullin 3-based E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulates Nrf2 activity. Keap1 also acts as a sensor for oxidative and electrophilic stresses. Keap1 retains multiple sensor cysteine residues that detect various stress stimuli. Increasing attention has been paid to the roles that Nrf2 plays in the protection of our bodies against drug toxicity and stress-induced diseases. On the other hand, Nrf2 is found to promote both oncogenesis and cancer cell resistance against chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, although Nrf2 acts to protect our body from deleterious stresses, cancer cells hijack the Nrf2 activity to support their malignant growth. Nrf2 has emerged as a new therapeutic target, and both inducers and inhibitors of Nrf2 are awaited. Studies challenging the molecular basis of the Keap1–Nrf2 system functions are now critically important to improve translational studies of the system. Indeed, recent studies identified cross talk between Nrf2 and other signaling pathways, which provides new insights into the mechanisms by which the Keap1–Nrf2 system serves as a potent regulator of our health and disease.     

Oxidative and electrophilic stresses activate Nrf2 through inhibition of ubiquitination activity of Keap1

The Keap1-Nrf2 system is the major regulatory pathway of cytoprotective gene expression against oxidative and/or electrophilic stresses. Keap1 acts as a stress sensor protein in this system. While Keap1 constitutively suppresses Nrf2 activity under unstressed conditions, oxidants or electrophiles provoke the repression of Keap1 activity, inducing the Nrf2 activation. However, the precise molecular mechanisms behind the liberation of Nrf2 from Keap1 repression in the presence of stress remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that oxidative and electrophilic stresses induce the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 by affecting the Keap1-mediated rapid turnover of Nrf2, since such accumulation was diminished by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. While both the Cys273 and Cys288 residues of Keap1 are required for suppressing Nrf2 nuclear accumulation, treatment of cells with electrophiles or mutation of these cysteine residues to alanine did not affect the association of Keap1 with Nrf2 either in vivo or in vitro. Rather, these treatments impaired the Keap1-mediated proteasomal degradation of Nrf2. These results support the contention that Nrf2 protein synthesized de novo after exposure to stress accumulates in the nucleus by bypassing the Keap1 gate and that the sensory mechanism of oxidative and electrophilic stresses is closely linked to the degradation mechanism of Nrf2.     

Methylseleninic acid activates Keap1/Nrf2 pathway via up-regulating miR-200a in human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells

Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) occurs at a very high rates in certain regions of China. There are increasing evidences demonstrating that selenium could act as a potential anti-oesophageal cancer agent, but the precise mechanisms involved are still not completely understood. Methylseleninic acid (MSA), as a potent second-generation selenium compound, is a promising chemopreventive agent. Previous studies demonstrated that the kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) system plays a critical role in cancer prevention, but little is known about its association with MSA in ESCC cells. In the present study, we observed that MSA treatment significantly down-regulated Keap1, induced nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 and enhance the antioxidant response element (ARE) promoter activity in ESCC cells. MSA could also significantly induce miR-200a expression and inhibit Keap1 directly. Antagomir-200a could attenuate MSA treatment-induced Keap1 down-regulation in ESCC cells. Moreover, MSA-induced miR-200a expression was dependent on the mediation of Krüpple-like factor 4 (KLF4). These results reaffirm the potential role of MSA as a chemopreventive agent via the regulation of KLF4/miR-200a/Keap1/Nrf2 axis in ESCC cells.     

p62/SQSTM1 is required for the protection against endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptotic cell death

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is triggered by various cellular stresses that disturb protein folding or calcium homeostasis in the ER. To cope with these stresses, ER stress activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, but unresolved ER stress induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation leading to apoptotic cell death. However, the mechanisms that underlie protection from ER stress-induced cell death are not clearly defined. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) pathway plays a crucial role in the protection of cells against ROS-mediated oxidative damage. Keap1 acts as a negative regulator of Nrf2 activation. In this study, we investigated the role of the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway in protection from ER stress-induced cell death using tunicamycin (TM) as an ER stress inducer. We found that Nrf2 is an essential protein for the prevention from TM-induced apoptotic cell death and its activation is driven by autophagic Keap1 degradation. Furthermore, ablation of p62, an adapter protein in the autophagy process, attenuates the Keap1 degradation and Nrf2 activation that was induced by TM treatment, and thereby increases susceptibility to apoptotic cell death. Conversely, reinforcement of p62 alleviated TM-induced cell death in p62-deficient cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that p62 plays an important role in protecting cells from TM-induced cell death through Nrf2 activation.