The redox status of the extracellular compartment has only just been elucidated as a mechanism controlling intracellular signal transduction and correlates with aging, diabetes, heart disease and lung fibrosis. In the present paper, we describe a mechanism by which oxidizing extracellular environments, as maintained by the cysteine/cystine (Cys/CySS) redox couple, induce mitochondria-derived ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation and cause the activation of Nrf2 (nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2), inducing an antioxidant response. NIH 3T3 cells were cultured in medium with extracellular Cys/CySS redox potentials (Eh), ranging from 0 to −150 mV. Cellular and mitochondrial ROS production significantly increased in cells incubated under more oxidizing extracellular conditions (0 and −46 mV). Trx2 (thioredoxin-2) is a mitochondrial-specific oxidoreductase and antioxidant and became oxidized in cells incubated at 0 or −46 mV. MEFs (mouse embryonic fibroblasts) from Trx2-overexpressing transgenic (Trx2 Tg) mice produced less intracellular ROS compared with WT (wild-type) MEFs at the more oxidizing extracellular conditions. Nrf2 activity was increased in WT MEFs at the 0 or −46 mV conditions, but was inhibited in Trx2 Tg MEFs under the same conditions. Furthermore, Nrf2-regulated gene expression was significantly increased in the WT MEFs, but not in the Trx2 Tg MEFs. These results show that the Cys/CySS redox status in the extracellular compartment regulates intracellular ROS generated primarily in the mitochondria, which play an important role in the activation of Nrf2 and up-regulation of antioxidant and detoxification systems.
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Research Article|
December 10 2009
Extracellular redox status regulates Nrf2 activation through mitochondrial reactive oxygen species
Barry R. Imhoff;
Barry R. Imhoff
1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, U.S.A.
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Jason M. Hansen
Jason M. Hansen
1
1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, U.S.A.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email jhansen@emory.edu).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
August 19 2009
Revision Received:
September 11 2009
Accepted:
September 25 2009
Accepted Manuscript online:
September 25 2009
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Biochemical Society
2009
Biochem J (2009) 424 (3): 491–500.
Article history
Received:
August 19 2009
Revision Received:
September 11 2009
Accepted:
September 25 2009
Accepted Manuscript online:
September 25 2009
Citation
Barry R. Imhoff, Jason M. Hansen; Extracellular redox status regulates Nrf2 activation through mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Biochem J 15 December 2009; 424 (3): 491–500. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BJ20091286
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