Proteasomal degradation of O-GlcNAc transferase elevates hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial inflammatory response†

Hypoxia induces vascular inflammation by a mechanism not fully understood. Emerging evidence implicates O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) in inflammation. This study explored the role of OGT in hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial inflammatory response.

Hypoxia was either induced (1% O2 chamber) or mimicked by exposure to hypoxia-mimetic agents in cultured endothelial cells. Hypoxia increased hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) and inflammatory response (gene and protein expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and E-selectin) but, surprisingly, reduced OGT protein (not mRNA) levels. Hypoxia-mimetic CoCl2 failed to reduce OGT when proteasome inhibitors were present, suggesting proteasome involvement. Indeed, CoCl2 enhanced 26S proteasome functionality evidenced by diminished reporter (Ub(G76V)-GFP) proteins in proteasome reporter cells, likely due to increased chymotrypsin-like activities. Mechanistically, β-TrCP1 mediated OGT degradation, since siRNA ablation of this E3 ubiquitin ligase stabilized OGT. Administration of the oxidative stress inhibitors reversed both proteasome activation and OGT degradation. Furthermore, up-regulation of OGT by stabilization, overexpression, or activation mitigated CoCl2-elicited inflammatory response. These observations were recapitulated in a mouse (C57BL/6J) model mimicking hypoxia, in which lung tissues presented higher levels of HIF-1α, proteasome activity, and inflammatory response, but lower levels of OGT (n = 5/group, hypoxia vs. normoxia, P < 0.05). However, administration of an activator of OGT (glucosamine: 1 mg/g/day, vehicle: saline, ip, 5 days) abolished the up-regulation of proteasome activity and inflammatory response (n = 5/group, the treated vs. untreated hypoxia groups, P < 0.05).

26S proteasome-mediated OGT reduction contributed to hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial inflammatory response. Modulation of OGT may represent a new approach to treat diseases characterized by hypoxic inflammation.