Sumoylation-deficient Prdx6 gains protective function by amplifying enzymatic activity and stability and escapes oxidative stress-induced aberrant Sumoylation

Aberrant Sumoylation of protein(s) in response to oxidative stress or during aging is known to be involved in etiopathogenesis of many diseases. Upon oxidative stress, Peroxiredoxin (Prdx) 6 is aberrantly Sumoylated by Sumo1, resulting in loss of functions and cell death. We identified lysines (K) 122 and 142 as the major Sumo1 conjugation sites in Prdx6. Intriguingly, the mutant Prdx6 K122/142 R (arginine) gained protective efficacy, increasing in abundance and promoting glutathione (GSH) peroxidase and acidic calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (aiPLA2) activities. Using lens epithelial cells derived from targeted inactivation of Prdx6-/- gene and relative enzymatic and stability assays, we discovered dramatic increases in GSH-peroxidase (30%) and aiPLA2 (37%) activities and stability in the K122/142 R mutant, suggesting Sumo1 destabilized Prdx6 integrity. Prdx6-/-LECs with EGFP-Sumo1 transduced or co-expressed with mutant TAT-HA-Prdx6K122/142 R or pGFP-Prdx6K122/142 R were highly resistant to oxidative stress, demonstrating mutant protein escaped and interrupted the Prdx6 aberrant Sumoylation-mediated cell death pathway. Mutational analysis of functional sites showed that both peroxidase and PLA2 active sites were necessary for mutant Prdx6 function, and that Prdx6 phosphorylation (at T177 residue) was essential for optimum PLA2 activity. Our work reveals the involvement of oxidative stress-induced aberrant Sumoylation in dysregulation of Prdx6 function. Mutant Prdx6 at its Sumo1 sites escapes and abates this adverse process by maintaining its integrity and gaining function. We propose that the K122/142R mutant of Prdx6 in the form of a TAT-fusion protein may be an easily applicable intervention for pathobiology of cells related to aberrant Sumoylation signaling in aging or oxidative stress.