Numerous proteins in Mammalian cells are prone to iron-dependent oxidation and proteasomal degradation

The mechanisms that underlie iron toxicity in cells and organisms are poorly understood. Previous studies of regulation of the cytosolic iron sensor, iron-regulatory protein 2 (IRP2), indicate that iron-dependent oxidation triggers ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of IRP2. To determine if oxidization by iron is involved in degradation of other proteins, we have used a carbonyl assay to identify oxidized proteins in lysates from RD4 cells treated with either an iron source or iron chelator. Protein lysates from iron-loaded or iron-depleted cells were resolved on two-dimensional gels and these iron manipulations were also repeated in the presence of proteasomal inhibitors. Eleven abundant proteins were identified as prone to iron-dependent oxidation and subsequent proteasomal degradation. These proteins included two putative iron-binding proteins, hNFU1 and calreticulin; two proteins involved in metabolism of hydrogen peroxide, peroxiredoxin 2 and superoxide dismutase 1; and several proteins identified in inclusions in neurodegenerative diseases, including HSP27, UCHL1, actin and tropomyosin. Our results indicate that cells can recognize and selectively eliminate iron-dependently oxidized proteins, but unlike IRP2, levels of these proteins do not significantly decrease in iron-treated cells. As iron overload is a feature of many human neurological diseases, further characterization of the process of degradation of iron-dependently oxidized proteins may yield insights into mechanisms of human disease.