Binding to WGR domain by salidroside activates PARP1 and protects hematopoietic stem cells from oxidative stress

A component of the base excision repair pathway, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) functions in multiple cellular processes, including DNA repair and programmed cell death. We previously showed that Salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from medicinal plants, prevented the loss of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in native mice and rescued HSCs repopulating in transplanted recipients under oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism by which PARP1 activation by Salidroside maintains HSCs under oxidative stress.

We found that although there were no spontaneous defects in hematopoiesis in Parp1(-/-) mice, oxidative stress compromised the repopulating capacity of Parp1(-/-) HSCs in transplanted recipient mice. A biochemical study using truncated proteins lacking the defined functional domains of PARP1 showed that the tryptophan-glycine-arginine-rich (WGR) domain of PARP1 was critical for Salidroside binding and subsequent PARP1 activation under oxidative stress. Functionally, complementation of Parp1(-/-) HSCs with full-length PARP1WT, but not the PARP1R591K mutant in WGR domain restored Salidroside-stimulated PARP1 activation in vitro. Mechanistically, activated PARP1 by Salidroside enhanced the repopulating capacity of the stressed HSCs by accelerating oxidative DNA damage repair. INNOVATIONS AND CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal the action of mechanism for Salidroside in PARP1 stimulation and a novel role of PARP1 activation in maintaining HSC function under oxidative stress.