PRDX1 Knockdown Research Articles

Peroxiredoxin 1 functions as a signal peroxidase to receive, transduce, and transmit peroxide signals in mammalian cells

Hydrogen peroxide is widely viewed as the main second messenger in redox signaling, and it has been proposed that deactivation of the antioxidant peroxiredoxin (Prdx) enzymes allows free peroxide to accumulate and directly oxidize target proteins (the floodgate model). We assessed the role of cytosolic Prdxs 1 and 2 in peroxide-induced activation of the apoptosis signaling kinase 1 (ASK1)/p38 signaling pathway, in which oxidation of ASK1 is required for phosphorylation of p38. In response to peroxide, Prdx1 catalyzed oxidation of ASK1 to a disulfide-linked multimer, and this occurred via transient formation of a Prdx1—ASK1 mixed disulfide intermediate. Oxidation of ASK1 and phosphorylation of p38 were inhibited by knockdown of Prdx1, but also by overexpression of Prdx2. This suggests that these two cytosolic Prdxs have distinct roles in the cellular peroxide response and compete for available peroxide substrate. These data imply that Prdx1 can function as a peroxide receptor in response to extracellular H2O2, receiving the peroxide signal and transducing it into a disulfide bond that is subsequently transmitted to the substrate, ASK1, resulting in p38 phosphorylation. Interestingly, in response to peroxide, Prdx1 and Prdx3 transiently formed reducible higher molecular weight complexes, suggesting that multiple proteins are targets for Prdx-mediated oxidation via a disulfide-exchange mechanism. This model of active peroxide signal distribution via disulfide exchange is consistent with Prdx function in yeast and explains how peroxides may trigger specific disulfide bond formation in mammalian cells.

Suppression of MG132-mediated cell death by peroxiredoxin 1 through influence on ASK1 activation in human thyroid cancer cells

Proteasome inhibitors represent a novel class of antitumor agents with pre-clinical and clinical evidence of activity against hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. However, emerging evidence indicates that antiapoptotic factors may also accumulate as a consequence of exposure to these drugs, thus it seems plausible that the activation of survival signaling cascades might compromise their antitumoral effects. Peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) are a family of thiol-containing peroxidases identified primarily by their ability to remove cellular hydroperoxides. The function of PRDX1 in particular has been implicated in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Another important finding is that aberrant upregulation of PRDX1 has been discovered in various cancers. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase that is regulated under conditions of cellular stress. ASK1 phosphorylates c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 MAPK, and elicits an apoptotic response. ASK1 activity is regulated at multiple levels, one of which is through interaction with PRDX1. In this study, for the first time we report that upregulation of PRDX1 expression was found in thyroid cancer cells treated with proteasome inhibitors, and PRDX1 knockdown resulted in accelerated proteasome inhibitor-induced cell death. In addition, we demonstrated that ASK1 activity was implicated in the PRDX1-dependent response of thyroid cancer cells to proteasome inhibitor-mediated cell death.

Comparative proteomic analysis identifies protein disulfide isomerase and peroxiredoxin 1 as new players involved in embryonic interdigital cell death

In this study, we used comparative proteomics to identify proteins that were involved in the regulation of interdigital cell death. The protein profiles of embryonic day (E) 12.5 and 13.5 mouse hindlimb interdigital tissues were compared to identify proteins that were differentially expressed. The interdigital cells are irreversibly committed to programmed cell death (PCD) at E13.5, whereas they are developmentally plastic at E12.5. We established that protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) expression was up-regulated at E13.5, while peroxiredoxin 1 (Prdx1) expression was down-regulated at this time point. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses confirmed the data obtained from the two-dimensional electrophoresis gels. Furthermore, we were able to up-regulate PDI expression by manipulating the E12.5 interdigital tissues to die during culture, although this up-regulation was not possible when cell survival was promoted. In addition, we could inhibit interdigital cell death and expression of proapoptotic genes (Bmp-4 and Bambi) by treating interdigital tissues with PDI antibodies and bacitracin (a PDI enzyme inhibitor). These findings suggested that PDI was involved in the activation and maintenance of interdigital cell death. Conversely, we determined that Prdx1 expression was maintained when interdigital cultures were manipulated to survive but down-regulated when the cultures were permitted to die. The result suggested that Prdx1 was involved in maintaining interdigital cell survival. However, we were unable to induce interdigital cell death by means of RNA interference-mediated silencing of Prdx1 expression, indicating that Prdx1 down-regulation is not sufficient for PCD to occur. Proteomic analysis of the Prdx1 knock-down cells revealed that the level of NF-kappaB inhibitor epsilon (IkappaBepsilon) was dramatically reduced. Furthermore, we found an increase in NFkappaB activation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the cytoplasm as a result of Prdx1 knockdown. We also found that silencing Prdx1 made the interdigital cells more susceptible to ROS-induced cell death. Taken together, our study identifies two new players in interdigital cell death and highlights that PCD is regulated by a delicate balance of proapoptotic and survival-promoting activities.