S-Glutathionylation-Controlled Apoptosis of Lung Epithelial Cells; Potential Implications for Lung Fibrosis

Epigenetic targets and their inhibitors in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a deadly lung disease characterized by fibroblast proliferation, excessive extracellular matrix buildup, inflammation, and tissue damage, resulting in respiratory failure and death. Recent studies suggest that impaired interactions among epithelial, mesenchymal, immune, and endothelial cells play a key role in IPF development. Advances in bioinformatics have also linked epigenetics, which bridges gene expression and environmental factors, to IPF. Despite the incomplete understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying IPF, recent preclinical studies have identified several novel epigenetic therapeutic targets, including DNMT, EZH2, G9a/GLP, PRMT1/7, KDM6B, HDAC, CBP/p300, BRD4, METTL3, FTO, and ALKBH5, along with potential small-molecule inhibitors relevant for its treatment. This review explores the pathogenesis of IPF, emphasizing epigenetic therapeutic targets and potential small molecule drugs. It also analyzes the structure-activity relationships of these epigenetic drugs and summarizes their biological activities. The objective is to advance the development of innovative epigenetic therapies for IPF.

Post-translational modifications and bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a prevalent respiratory disorder posing a significant threat to the quality of life in premature infants. Its pathogenesis is intricate, and therapeutic options are limited. Besides genetic coding, protein post-translational modification plays a pivotal role in regulating cellular function, contributing complexity and diversity to substrate proteins and influencing various cellular processes. Substantial evidence indicates that post-translational modifications of several substrate proteins are intricately related to the molecular mechanisms underlying bronchopulmonary dysplasia. These modifications facilitate the progression of bronchopulmonary dysplasia through a cascade of signal transduction events. This review outlines the relationships between substrate protein phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, methylation, glycosylation, glycation, S-glutathionylation, S-nitrosylation and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The aim is to provide novel insights into bronchopulmonary dysplasia's pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets for clinical management.

Synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs): adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) and considerations for next generation new approach methods (NAMs)

Fiber dimension, durability/dissolution, and biopersistence are critical factors for the risk of fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. In the modern era, to reduce, refine, and replace animals in toxicology research, the application of in vitro test methods is paramount for hazard evaluation and designing synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs) for safe use. The objectives of this review are to: (1) summarize the international frameworks and acceptability criteria for implementation of new approach methods (NAMs), (2) evaluate the adverse outcome pathways (AOPs), key events (KEs), and key event relationships (KERs) for fiber-induced fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis in accordance with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines, (3) consider existing and emerging technologies for in silico and in vitro toxicity testing for the respiratory system and the ability to predict effects in vivo, (4) outline a recommended testing strategy for evaluating the hazard and safety of novel SVFs, and (5) reflect on methods needs for in vitro in vivo correlation (IVIVC) and predictive approaches for safety assessment of new SVFs. AOP frameworks following the conceptual model of the OECD were developed through an evaluation of available molecular and cellular initiating events, which lead to KEs and KERs in the development of fiber-induced fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. AOP framework development included consideration of fiber physicochemical properties, respiratory deposition and clearance patterns, biosolubility, and biopersistence, as well as cellular, organ, and organism responses. Available data support that fiber AOPs begin with fiber physicochemical characteristics which influence fiber exposure and biosolubility and subsequent key initiating events are dependent on fiber biopersistence and reactivity. Key cellular events of pathogenic fibers include oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and epithelial/fibroblast proliferation and differentiation, which ultimately lead to hyperplasia, metaplasia, and fibrosis/tumor formation. Available in vitro models (e.g. single-, multi-cellular, organ system) provide promising NAMs tools to evaluate these intermediate KEs. However, data on SVFs demonstrate that in vitro biosolubility is a reasonable predictor for downstream events of in vivo biopersistence and biological effects. In vitro SVF fiber dissolution rates >100 ng/cm2/hr (glass fibers in pH 7 and stone fibers in pH 4.5) and in vivo SVF fiber clearance half-life less than 40 or 50 days were not associated with fibrosis or tumors in animals. Long (fiber lengths >20 µm) biodurable and biopersistent fibers exceeding these fiber dissolution and clearance thresholds may pose a risk of fibrosis and cancer. In vitro fiber dissolution assays provide a promising avenue and potentially powerful tool to predict in vivo SVF fiber biopersistence, hazard, and health risk. NAMs for fibers (including SVFs) may involve a multi-factor in vitro approach leveraging in vitro dissolution data in complement with cellular- and tissue- based in vitro assays to predict health risk.

Redox organization of living systems

Redox organization governs an underlying simplicity in living systems. Critically, redox reactions enable the essential characteristics of life: extraction of energy from the environment, use of energy to support metabolic and structural organization, use of dynamic redox responses to defend against environmental threats, and use of redox mechanisms to direct differentiation of cells and organ systems essential for reproduction. These processes are sustained through a redox context in which electron donor/acceptor couples are poised at substantially different steady-state redox potentials, some with relatively reducing steady states and others with relatively oxidizing steady states. Redox-sensitive thiols of the redox proteome, as well as low molecular weight redox-active molecules, are maintained individually by the kinetics of oxidation-reduction within this redox system. Recent research has revealed opposing network interactions of the metallome, redox proteome, metabolome and transcriptome, which appear to be an evolved redox response structure to maintain stability of an organism in the presence of variable oxidative environments. Considerable opportunity exists to improve human health through detailed understanding of these redox networks so that targeted interventions can be developed to support new avenues for redox medicine.

GSTP alleviates acute lung injury by S-glutathionylation of KEAP1 and subsequent activation of NRF2 pathway

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). As a typical post-translational modification triggered by oxidative stress, protein S-glutathionylation (PSSG) is regulated by redox signaling pathways and plays diverse roles in oxidative stress conditions. In this study, we found that GSTP downregulation exacerbated LPS-induced injury in human lung epithelial cells and in mice ALI models, confirming the protective effect of GSTP against ALI both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between total PSSG level and GSTP expression level in cells and mice lung tissues. Further results demonstrated that GSTP inhibited KEAP1-NRF2 interaction by promoting PSSG process of KEAP1. By the integration of protein mass spectrometry, molecular docking, and site-mutation validation assays, we identified C434 in KEAP1 as the key PSSG site catalyzed by GSTP, which promoted the dissociation of KEAP1-NRF2 complex and activated the subsequent anti-oxidant genes. In vivo experiments with AAV-GSTP mice confirmed that GSTP inhibited LPS-induced lung inflammation by promoting PSSG of KEAP1 and activating the NRF2 downstream antioxidant pathways. Collectively, this study revealed the novel regulatory mechanism of GSTP in the anti-inflammatory function of lungs by modulating PSSG of KEAP1 and the subsequent KEAP1/NRF2 pathway. Targeting at manipulation of GSTP level or activity might be a promising therapeutic strategy for oxidative stress-induced ALI progression.

Oxidative Stress and Lung Fibrosis: Towards an Adverse Outcome Pathway

Lung fibrosis is a progressive fatal disease in which deregulated wound healing of lung epithelial cells drives progressive fibrotic changes. Persistent lung injury due to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are central features of lung fibrosis. Chronic cigarette smoking causes oxidative stress and is a major risk factor for lung fibrosis. The objective of this manuscript is to develop an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) that serves as a framework for investigation of the mechanisms of lung fibrosis due to lung injury caused by inhaled toxicants, including cigarette smoke. Based on the weight of evidence, oxidative stress is proposed as a molecular initiating event (MIE) which leads to increased secretion of proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators (key event 1 (KE1)). At the cellular level, these proinflammatory signals induce the recruitment of inflammatory cells (KE2), which in turn, increase fibroblast proliferation and myofibroblast differentiation (KE3). At the tissue level, an increase in extracellular matrix deposition (KE4) subsequently culminates in lung fibrosis, the adverse outcome. We have also defined a new KE relationship between the MIE and KE3. This AOP provides a mechanistic platform to understand and evaluate how persistent oxidative stress from lung injury may develop into lung fibrosis.

Glutathione and Glutaredoxin-Key Players in Cellular Redox Homeostasis and Signaling

This Special Issue of Antioxidants on Glutathione (GSH) and Glutaredoxin (Grx) was designed to collect review articles and original research studies focused on advancing the current understanding of the roles of the GSH/Grx system in cellular homeostasis and disease processes. The tripeptide glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant non-enzymatic antioxidant/nucleophilic molecule in cells. In addition to various metabolic reactions involving GSH and its oxidized counterpart GSSG, oxidative post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins has been a focal point of keen interest in the redox field over the last few decades. In particular, the S-glutathionylation of proteins (protein-SSG formation), i.e., mixed disulfides between GSH and protein thiols, has been studied extensively. This reversible PTM can act as a regulatory switch to interconvert inactive and active forms of proteins, thereby mediating cell signaling and redox homeostasis. The unique architecture of the GSH molecule enhances its relative abundance in cells and contributes to the glutathionyl specificity of the primary catalytic activity of the glutaredoxin enzymes, which play central roles in redox homeostasis and signaling, and in iron metabolism in eukaryotes and prokaryotes under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The class-1 glutaredoxins are characterized as cytosolic GSH-dependent oxidoreductases that catalyze reversible protein S-glutathionylation specifically, thereby contributing to the regulation of redox signal transduction and/or the protection of protein thiols from irreversible oxidation. This Special Issue includes nine other articles: three original studies and six review papers. Together, these ten articles support the central theme that GSH/Grx is a unique system for regulating thiol-redox hemostasis and redox-signal transduction, and the dysregulation of the GSH/Grx system is implicated in the onset and progression of various diseases involving oxidative stress. Within this context, it is important to appreciate the complementary functions of the GSH/Grx and thioredoxin systems not only in thiol-disulfide regulation but also in reversible S-nitrosylation. Several potential clinical applications have emerged from a thorough understanding of the GSH/Grx redox regulatory system at the molecular level, and in various cell types in vitro and in vivo, including, among others, the concept that elevating Grx content/activity could serve as an anti-fibrotic intervention; and discovering small molecules that mimic the inhibitory effects of S-glutathionylation on dimer association could identify novel anti-viral agents that impact the key protease activities of the HIV and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Thus, this Special Issue on Glutathione and Glutaredoxin has focused attention and advanced understanding of an important aspect of redox biology, as well as spawning questions worthy of future study.

Protein posttranslational modifications in health and diseases: Functions, regulatory mechanisms, and therapeutic implications

Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) refer to the breaking or generation of covalent bonds on the backbones or amino acid side chains of proteins and expand the diversity of proteins, which provides the basis for the emergence of organismal complexity. To date, more than 650 types of protein modifications, such as the most well-known phosphorylation, ubiquitination, glycosylation, methylation, SUMOylation, short-chain and long-chain acylation modifications, redox modifications, and irreversible modifications, have been described, and the inventory is still increasing. By changing the protein conformation, localization, activity, stability, charges, and interactions with other biomolecules, PTMs ultimately alter the phenotypes and biological processes of cells. The homeostasis of protein modifications is important to human health. Abnormal PTMs may cause changes in protein properties and loss of protein functions, which are closely related to the occurrence and development of various diseases. In this review, we systematically introduce the characteristics, regulatory mechanisms, and functions of various PTMs in health and diseases. In addition, the therapeutic prospects in various diseases by targeting PTMs and associated regulatory enzymes are also summarized. This work will deepen the understanding of protein modifications in health and diseases and promote the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic markers and drug targets for diseases.