Distinct mechanisms by which Nrf1 and Nrf2 as drug targets contribute to the anticancer efficacy of cisplatin on hepatoma cells

Cisplatin (cis-Dichlorodiamineplatinum[II], CDDP) is generally accepted as a platinum-based alkylating agent type of the DNA-damaging anticancer drug, which is widely administrated in clinical treatment of many solid tumors. The pharmacological effect of CDDP is mainly achieved by replacing the chloride ion (Cl-) in its structure with H2O to form active substances with the strong electrophilic properties and then react with any nucleophilic molecules, primarily leading to genomic DNA damage and subsequent cell death. In this process, those target genes driven by the consensus electrophilic and/or antioxidant response elements (EpREs/AREs) in their promoter regions are also activated or repressed by CDDP. Thereby, we here examined the expression profiling of such genes regulated by two principal antioxidant transcription factors Nrf1 and Nrf2 (both encoded by Nfe2l1 and Nfe2l2, respectively) in diverse cellular signaling responses to this intervention. The results demonstrated distinct cellular metabolisms, molecular pathways and signaling response mechanisms by which Nrf1 and Nrf2 as the drug targets differentially contribute to the anticancer efficacy of CDDP on hepatoma cells and xenograft tumor mice. Interestingly, the role of Nrf1, rather than Nrf2, is required for the anticancer effect of CDDP, to suppress malignant behavior of HepG2 cells by differentially monitoring multi-hierarchical signaling to gene regulatory networks. To our surprise, it was found there exists a closer relationship of Nrf1α than Nrf2 with DNA repair, but the hyperactive Nrf2 in Nrf1α-∕- cells manifests a strong correlation with its resistance to CDDP, albeit their mechanistic details remain elusive.

Nrf1 is an indispensable redox-determining factor for mitochondrial homeostasis by integrating multi-hierarchical regulatory networks

To defend against a vast variety of challenges in oxygenated environments, all life forms have evolutionally established a set of antioxidants, detoxification, and cytoprotective systems during natural selection and adaptive survival, to maintain cell redox homeostasis and organ integrity in the healthy development and growth. Such antioxidant defense systems are predominantly regulated by two key transcription factors Nrf1 and Nrf2, but the underlying mechanism(s) for their coordinated redox control remains elusive. Here, we found that loss of full-length Nrf1 led to a dramatic increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damages in Nrf1α-∕- cells, and this increase was not eliminated by drastic elevation of Nrf2, even though the antioxidant systems were also substantially enhanced by hyperactive Nrf2. Further studies revealed that the increased ROS production in Nrf1α-∕- resulted from a striking impairment in the mitochondrial oxidative respiratory chain and its gene expression regulated by nuclear respiratory factors, called αPalNRF1 and GABPNRF2. In addition to the antioxidant capacity of cells, glycolysis was greatly augmented by aberrantly-elevated Nrf2, so to partially relieve the cellular energy demands, but aggravate its mitochondrial stress. The generation of ROS was also differentially regulated by Nrf1 and Nrf2 through miR-195 and/or mIR-497-mediated UCP2 pathway. Consequently, the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of Nrf1α-∕- cells was activated by putative ROS-stimulated signaling via MAPK, HIF1α, NF-ƙB, PI3K and AKT, all players involved in cancer development and progression. Taken together, it is inferable that Nrf1 acts as a potent integrator of redox regulation by multi-hierarchical networks.

Differential Yet Integral Contributions of Nrf1 and Nrf2 in the Human HepG2 Cells on Antioxidant Cytoprotective Response against Tert-Butylhydroquinone as a Pro-Oxidative Stressor

In the past 25 years, Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, also called NFE2L2) had been preferentially parsed as a master hub of regulating antioxidant, detoxification, and cytoprotective genes; albeit as a matter of fact that Nrf1 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 1, also called NFE2L1)-rather than Nrf2-is indispensable for cell homeostasis and organ integrity during normal growth and development. Herein, distinct genotypic cell lines (i.e., Nrf1α^-/-, Nrf2^-/-ΔTA, and caNrf2^ΔN) are employed to determine differential yet integral roles of Nrf1 and Nrf2 in mediating antioxidant responsive genes to tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) serving as a pro-oxidative stressor. In Nrf1α^-/- cells, Nrf2 was highly accumulated but also could not fully compensate specific loss of Nrf1α's function in its basal cytoprotective response against endogenous oxidative stress, though it exerted partially inducible antioxidant response, as the hormetic effect of tBHQ, against apoptotic damages. By contrast, Nrf2^-/-ΔTA cells gave rise to a substantial reduction of Nrf1 in both basal and tBHQ-stimulated expression levels and hence resulted in obvious oxidative stress, but it can still be allowed to mediate a potent antioxidant response, as accompanied by a significantly decreased ratio of GSSG (oxidized glutathione) to GSH (reduced glutathione). Conversely, a remarkable increase of Nrf1 expression resulted from the constitutive active caNrf2^ΔN cells, which were not manifested with oxidative stress, whether or not it was intervened with tBHQ. Such inter-regulatory effects of Nrf1 and Nrf2 on the antioxidant and detoxification genes (encoding HO-1, NQO1, GCLC, GCLM, GSR, GPX1, TALDO, MT1E, and MT2), as well on the ROS (reactive oxygen species)-scavenging activities of SOD (superoxide dismutase) and CAT (catalase), were further investigated. The collective results unraveled that Nrf1 and Nrf2 make distinctive yet cooperative contributions to finely tuning basal constitutive and/or tBHQ-inducible expression levels of antioxidant cytoprotective genes in the inter-regulatory networks. Overall, Nrf1 acts as a brake control for Nrf2's functionality to be confined within a certain extent, whilst its transcription is regulated by Nrf2.

Structural Characterization and Immunostimulatory Activity of Polysaccharides from Brassica rapa L.

Two neutral polysaccharides (BRNP-1, 6.9 kDa; BRNP-2, 4.8 kDa) were purified from the common edible plant Brassica rapa L. via the combined techniques of ion-exchange chromatography and high-performance gel permeation chromatography. Monosaccharide composition analysis showed that BRNP-1 and BRNP-2 were composed of glucosyl residues. Methylation and 1D- and 2D-NMR analyses revealed that both BRNP-1 and BRNP-2 contained a backbone chain that was composed of α-D-(1 → 4)-linked Glcp residues and side chains that were composed of terminally linked Glcp residues attached at the O-6 position of backbone-glycosyl residues. BRNP-1 and BRNP-2, however, differed in branch degree and molecular weight. Bioassay results showed that treatment with the higher dosage (400 μg/mL) of BRNP-1 and BRNP-2 stimulated the proliferation, NO release, and cytokine secretion (IL-6 and TNF-α) of RAW264.7 macrophages. These results suggested that BRNP-1 and BRNP-2 may enhance macrophage-mediated immune responses.