ATF4-Dependent NRF2 Transcriptional Regulation Promotes Antioxidant Protection during Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Carmen Sarcinelli (1) , Helena Dragic (1) , Marie Piecyk (1) , Virginie Barbet (1) , Cédric Duret (1) , Audrey Barthelaix (2) , Carole Ferraro-Peyret (1, 3) , Joelle Fauvre (1) , Toufic Renno (1) , Cedric Chaveroux (1) , Serge N Manié (1, 4)

1 UNICANCER/CRCL - Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon
2 Cellules Souches, Plasticité Cellulaire, Médecine Régénératrice et Immunothérapies (IRMB)
3 HCL - Hospices Civils de Lyon
4 COSS - Chemistry, Oncogenesis, Stress and Signaling

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that induce apoptosis if left unabated. To limit oxidative insults, the ER stress PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum Kinase (PERK) has been reported to phosphorylate and activate nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2). Here, we uncover an alternative mechanism for PERK-mediated NRF2 regulation in human cells that does not require direct phosphorylation. We show that the activation of the PERK pathway rapidly stimulates the expression of NRF2 through activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). In addition, NRF2 activation is late and largely driven by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during late protein synthesis recovery, contributing to protecting against cell death. Thus, PERK-mediated NRF2 activation encompasses a PERK-ATF4-dependent control of NRF2 expression that contributes to the NRF2 protective response engaged during ER stress-induced ROS production.

Keywords: ATF4; ER stress; NRF2; PERK; ROS

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Cancer

Carmen Sarcinelli, Helena Dragic, Marie Piecyk, Virginie Barbet, Cédric Duret, et al.. ATF4-Dependent NRF2 Transcriptional Regulation Promotes Antioxidant Protection during Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress. Cancers, 2020, 12 (3), pp.E569. ⟨10.3390/cancers12030569⟩. ⟨hal-02534425⟩