Persistent expression of Nqo1 by p62-mediated Nrf2 activation facilitates p53-dependent mitotic catastrophe

Prolonged mitosis due to aberrant chromosome segregation permits cells to enter the G1 phase without cytokinesis and subsequently triggers the p53-dependent cell death program, known as mitotic catastrophe. Cells which fail to go through mitotic catastrophe create aneuploidy, posing a risk of oncogenesis. In the present report, we show that p62-mediated non-canonical activation of Nrf2 leads to the persistent expression of Nqo1, which plays a critical role for p53 stabilization during mitotic catastrophe. With prolonged exposure to nocodazole, a microtubule-depolymerizing agent, p62-deficient HCT116 cells exhibited an accumulation of a polyploid population with a limited appearance of apoptotic cells, which was attributable to the attenuated stabilization of p53. Combinatorial gene manipulation analysis verified that the regulatory cascade with a hierarchy of p62–Keap1–Nrf2–Nqo1 is required for p53 stabilization for mitotic catastrophe. This is consistent with the role of Nqo1 as a gatekeeper for proteasomal degradation of p53. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time the functional connection between the non-canonical Nrf2 pathway and p53-dependent cell death program upon prolonged mitosis.     

Regulation of TDP-43 aggregation by phosphorylation and p62/SQSTM1

TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) proteinopathy has been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Phosphorylated and ubiquitinated TDP-43 C-terminal fragments have been found in cytoplasmic inclusions in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. However, the factors and pathways that regulate TDP-43 aggregation are still not clear. We found that the C-terminal 15 kDa fragment of TDP-43 is sufficient to induce aggregation but the aggregation phenotype is modified by additional sequences. Aggregation is accompanied by phosphorylation at serine residues 409/410. Mutation of 409/410 to phosphomimetic aspartic acid residues significantly reduces aggregation. Inhibition of either proteasome or autophagy dramatically increases TDP-43 aggregation. Furthermore, TDP-43 aggregates colocalize with markers of autophagy and the adaptor protein p62/SQSTM1. Over-expression of p62/SQSTM1 reduces TDP-43 aggregation in an autophagy and proteasome-dependent manner. These studies suggest that aggregation of TDP-43 C-terminal fragments is regulated by phosphorylation events and both the autophagy and proteasome-mediated degradation pathways.     

Effects of precipitation on photosynthesis and water potential in Andropogon gerardii and Schizachyrium scoparium in a southern mixed grass prairie

In grassland ecosystems, spatial and temporal variability in precipitation is a key driver of species distributions and population dynamics. We experimentally manipulated precipitation to understand the physiological basis for differences in responses of species to water availability in a southern mixed grass prairie. We focused on the performance of two dominant C₄ grasses, Andropogon gerardii Vitman and Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash, in treatments that received ambient rainfall, half of ambient rainfall (“drought” treatment), or approximately double ambient rainfall (“irrigated” treatment). Water potentials of S. scoparium were lower than A. gerardii, suggesting superior ability to adjust to water deficit in S. scoparium. Additionally, drought reduced photosynthesis to a greater extent in A. gerardii compared to S. scoparium. Leaf-level photosynthesis rates were similar in ambient and irrigated treatments, but were significantly lower in the drought treatment. Although stomatal conductance was reduced by drought, this was not limiting for photosynthesis. Leaf δ¹³C values were decreased by drought, caused by an increase in C_i/C_a. Chlorophyll fluorescence measures indicated light-harvesting rates were highest in irrigated treatments, and were lower in ambient and drought treatments. Moreover, drought resulted in a greater proportion of absorbed photon energy being lost via thermal pathways. Reductions in photosynthesis came as a result of non-stomatal limitations in the C₄ cycle. Our results provide mechanistic support for the hypothesis that S. scoparium is more drought tolerant than A. gerardii.     

Crystal structure of the ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain of p62 and its interaction with ubiquitin

p62/SQSTM1/A170 is a multimodular protein that is found in ubiquitin-positive inclusions associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Recent findings indicate that p62 mediates the interaction between ubiquitinated proteins and autophagosomes, leading these proteins to be degraded via the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. This ubiquitin-mediated selective autophagy is thought to begin with recognition of the ubiquitinated proteins by the C-terminal ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain of p62. We present here the crystal structure of the UBA domain of mouse p62 and the solution structure of its ubiquitin-bound form. The p62 UBA domain adopts a novel dimeric structure in crystals, which is distinctive from those of other UBA domains. NMR analyses reveal that in solution the domain exists in equilibrium between the dimer and monomer forms, and binding ubiquitin shifts the equilibrium toward the monomer to form a 1:1 complex between the UBA domain and ubiquitin. The dimer-to-monomer transition is associated with a structural change of the very C-terminal end of the p62 UBA domain, although the UBA fold itself is essentially maintained. Our data illustrate that dimerization and ubiquitin binding of the p62 UBA domain are incompatible with each other. These observations reveal an autoinhibitory mechanism in the p62 UBA domain and suggest that autoinhibition plays a role in the function of p62.     

Dynamics of the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins by proteasomes and autophagy: association with sequestosome 1/p62

Proteotoxicity resulting from accumulation of damaged/unwanted proteins contributes prominently to cellular aging and neurodegeneration. Proteasomal removal of these proteins upon covalent polyubiquitination is highly regulated. Recent reports proposed a role for autophagy in clearance of diffuse ubiquitinated proteins delivered by p62/SQSTM1. Here, we compared the turnover dynamics of endogenous ubiquitinated proteins by proteasomes and autophagy by assessing the effect of their inhibitors. Autophagy inhibitors bafilomycin A1, ammonium chloride, and 3-methyladenine failed to increase ubiquitinated protein levels. The proteasome inhibitor epoxomicin raised ubiquitinated protein levels at least 3-fold higher than the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine. These trends were observed in SK-N-SH cells under serum or serum-free conditions and in WT or Atg5(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Notably, chloroquine considerably inhibited proteasomes in SK-N-SH cells and MEFs. In these cells, elevation of p62/SQSTM1 was greater upon proteasome inhibition than with all autophagy inhibitors tested and was reduced in Atg5(-/-) MEFs. With epoxomicin, soluble p62/SQSTM1 associated with proteasomes and p62/SQSTM1 aggregates contained inactive proteasomes, ubiquitinated proteins, and autophagosomes. Prolonged autophagy inhibition (96 h) failed to elevate ubiquitinated proteins in rat cortical neurons, although epoxomicin did. Moreover, prolonged autophagy inhibition in cortical neurons markedly increased p62/SQSTM1, supporting its degradation mainly by autophagy and not by proteasomes. In conclusion, we clearly demonstrate that pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of autophagy fails to elevate ubiquitinated proteins unless the proteasome is affected. We also provide strong evidence that p62/SQSTM1 associates with proteasomes and that autophagy degrades p62/SQSTM1. Overall, the function of p62/SQSTM1 in the proteasomal pathway and autophagy requires further elucidation.     

Adaptor protein Nck1 interacts with p120 Ras GTPase-activating protein and regulates its activity

Adaptor protein Nck1 binds a number of intracellular proteins and influences various signaling pathways. Here we show that Nck1 directly binds and activates the GTPase-activating protein of Ras (RasGAP), which is responsible for the down-regulation of Ras. The first and the third SH3 domains of Nck1 and the NH₂-terminal proline-rich sequence of RasGAP contribute most to the complex formation causing direct molecular interaction between the two proteins. Cell adhesion to the substrate is obligatory for the Nck1 and RasGAP association, as cell detachment makes RasGAP incapable of associating with Nck1. This leads to the complex dissipation, decrease of RasGAP activity and the increase of H-Ras-GTP level in the detached cells. Our findings reveal unexpected feature of adaptor protein Nck1 as the regulator of RasGAP activity.     

Autophagy protein p62/SQSTM1 is involved in HAMLET-induced cell death by modulating apotosis in U87MG cells

HAMLET is a complex of oleic acids and decalcified α-lactalbumin that was discovered to selectively kill tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Autophagy is an important cellular process involved in drug-induced cell death of glioma cells. We treated U87MG human glioma cells with HAMLET and found that the cell viability was significantly decreased and accompanied with the activation of autophagy. Interestingly, we observed an increase in p62/SQSTM1, an important substrate of autophagosome enzymes, at the protein level upon HAMLET treatment for short periods. To better understand the functionality of autophagy and p62/SQSTM1 in HAMLET-induced cell death, we modulated the level of autophagy or p62/SQSTM1 with biochemical or genetic methods. The results showed that inhibition of autophagy aggravated HAMLET-induced cell death, whereas activation of authophagy attenuated this process. Meanwhile, we found that overexpression of wild-type p62/SQSTM1 was able to activate caspase-8, and then promote HAMLET-induced apoptosis, whereas knockdown of p62/SQSTM1 manifested the opposite effect. We further demonstrated that the function of p62/SQSTM1 following HAMLET treatment required its C-terminus UBA domain. Our results indicated that in addition to being a marker of autophagy activation in HAMLET-treated glioma cells, p62/SQSTM1 could also function as an important mediator for the activation of caspase-8-dependent cell death.