The protease DDI2 regulates NRF1-metallothionein pathway in response to Cadmium toxicity in the liver
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ABSTRACT: DNA-damage inducible 1 homolog 2 (DDI2) is an aspartic protease that cleaves and activates the transcription factor NRF1. Cellular models have shown that this pathway contributes to cell-stress adaption, for example, upon proteasome inhibition. However, DDI2 physiological function is unknown. Ddi2 Knock-out (KO) mice are embryonic lethal. However, we found that liver-specific Ddi2-KO animals are viable. We used comprehensive genetic analysis to identify the molecular pathways regulated by DDI2. We show that DDI2 mediates metallothionein (MT) expression in mouse and human hepatocytes in response to cadmium (Cd). Cd exposure inhibits the proteasome activity, resulting in NRF1 accumulation in the cytoplasm, followed by cleavage by DDI2 and translocation to the nucleus to activate MTs. Depleting DDI2 or NRF1 by CRISPR/Cas9 impaired MTs activation and sensitized the cells to Cd or cisplatin toxicity. This study identifies a new function for DDI2 that links proteasome homeostasis to heavy metal mediated toxicity.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE198150 | GEO | 2022/10/19
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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