Heme oxygenase-1 protein localizes to the nucleus and activates transcription factors important in oxidative stress.

Lin Q, Weis S, Yang G, Weng YH, Helston R, Rish K, Smith A, Bordner J, Polte T, Gaunitz F, Dennery PA (2007) Heme oxygenase-1 protein localizes to the nucleus and activates transcription factors important in oxidative stress. J Biol Chem 282(28), 20621-20633.

Abstract

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, is an integral membrane protein of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. However, we detected an HO-1 immunoreactive signal in the nucleus of cultured cells after exposure to hypoxia and heme or heme/hemopexin. Under these conditions, a faster migrating HO-1 immunoreactive band was enriched in nuclear extracts, suggesting that HO-1 was cleaved to allow nuclear entry. This was confirmed by the absence of immunoreactive signal with an antibody against the C terminus and the lack of a C-terminal sequence by gas chromatographymass spectrometry. Incubation with leptomycin B prior to hypoxia abolished nuclear HO-1 and the faster migrating band on Western analysis, suggesting that this process was facilitated by CRM1. Furthermore, preincubation with a cysteine protease inhibitor prevented nuclear entry of green fluorescent protein-labeled HO-1, demonstrating that protease-mediated C-terminal cleavage was also necessary for nuclear transport of HO-1. Nuclear localization was also associated with reduction of HO activity. HO-1 protein, whether it was enzymatically active or not, mediated activation of oxidant-responsive transcription factors, including activator protein-1. Nevertheless, nuclear HO-1 protected cells against hydrogen peroxide-mediated injury equally as well as cytoplasmic HO-1. We speculate that nuclear localization of HO-1 protein may serve to up-regulate genes that promote cytoprotection against oxidative stress.

Leibniz-HKI-Autor*innen

Sebastian Weis

Identifier

PMID: 17430897