Novel role for glutathione S-transferase pi. Regulator of protein S-Glutathionylation following oxidative and nitrosative stress

J Biol Chem. 2009 Jan 2;284(1):436-445. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M805586200. Epub 2008 Nov 6.

Abstract

Glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTpi) is a marker protein in many cancers and high levels are linked to drug resistance, even when the selecting drug is not a substrate. S-Glutathionylation of proteins is critical to cellular stress response, but characteristics of the forward reaction are not known. Our results show that GSTpi potentiates S-glutathionylation reactions following oxidative and nitrosative stress in vitro and in vivo. Mutational analysis indicated that the catalytic activity of GST is required. GSTpi is itself redox-regulated. S-Glutathionylation on Cys47 and Cys101 autoregulates GSTpi, breaks ligand binding interactions with c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and causes GSTpi multimer formation, all critical to stress response. Catalysis of S-glutathionylation at low pK cysteines in proteins is a novel property for GSTpi and may be a cause for its abundance in tumors and cells resistant to a range of mechanistically unrelated anticancer drugs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / physiology
  • Glutathione / genetics
  • Glutathione / metabolism*
  • Glutathione S-Transferase pi / genetics
  • Glutathione S-Transferase pi / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress / physiology*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational / physiology*

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • GSTP1 protein, human
  • Glutathione S-Transferase pi
  • Gstp1 protein, mouse
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Glutathione