An autoregulatory loop between Nrf2 and Cul3-Rbx1 controls their cellular abundance

The INrf2 (Keap1)/Cul3-Rbx1 complex constantly degrades Nrf2 under normal conditions. When a cell encounters oxidative or electrophilic stress, Nrf2 dissociates from the INrf2/Cul3-Rbx1 complex and translocates into the nucleus. In the nucleus, Nrf2 activates a myriad of antioxidant and defensive genes that protect cells. Nrf2 is then exported out of the nucleus and degraded. INrf2 serves as a substrate adaptor to link Nrf2 to Cul3 and Rbx1. Cul3 and Rbx1 make up the ubiquitin ligase complex that is responsible for the ubiquitination and degradation of Nrf2. Previously we have shown a feedback autoregulatory loop between Nrf2 and INrf2 indicating that Nrf2 regulates INrf2 by controlling its transcription. Here we are extending this research by demonstrating the presence of another feedback autoregulatory loop between Cul3-Rbx1 and Nrf2. Experiments using Hepa-1 and HepG2 cells indicate that Nrf2 controls its own degradation by regulating expression and induction of Cul3-Rbx1 genes. Treatment with the antioxidant tert-Butylhydroquinone (t-BHQ) leads to induction of Cul3-Rbx1 genes. Mutagenesis and transfection experiments identified an antioxidant response element in the forward and reverse strands of the proximal Cul3 and Rbx1 promoters, respectively, that Nrf2 binds and regulates expression and antioxidant induction of the Cul3-Rbx1 genes. In addition, short interfering RNA inhibition and overexpression of Nrf2 led to a respective decrease and increase in Cul3-Rbx1 gene expression. The increase in Cul3-Rbx1 leads to ubiquitination and degradation of Nrf2. These data suggest that Nrf2 regulates Cul3-Rbx1 by controlling regulation of expression and induction of Cul3-Rbx1. The induction of Cul3-Rbx1 control Nrf2 by increasing degradation.