Exercise enhances antioxidant protein levels in oxidative skeletal muscle via IL-1β

Nrf2 activation by sequestosome1/p62 (p62) (Ser351) phosphorylation is a pivotal signal for the exercise-mediated augmentation of antioxidant protein expression in muscle. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating this signal in response to exercise remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that exercise training leads to higher levels of antioxidant proteins (e.g., CuZnSOD and EcSOD) in the mouse predominantly oxidative soleus, but not in the predominantly glycolytic white vastus lateralis muscle. We also observed that muscle-specific p62 overexpression, which leads to higher levels of phosphorylated (Ser351) p62, increases expression of these antioxidant proteins. Evidence for a cell-autonomous signal came from the observations that exercise training increased the expression of the neighbor of BRCA1 gene 1 (NBR1) protein, which is known to stimulate p62 (Ser351) phosphorylation, in the soleus muscle, whereas cyclic stretch of C2C12 myotubes led to the same outcomes. Of note, both exercise training in mice and cyclic stretch in myotubes enhanced the expression of cleaved interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which is known to stimulate NBR1 expression. A key upstream role for IL-1β in this signaling was then established by daily injections of IL-1β-neutralizing antibody, which prevented exercise training-mediated increases in NBR1, phosphorylated p62 (Ser351), and EcSOD in the soleus muscle. Collectively, these findings point to IL-1β as an important upstream modulator of NBR1, p62 phosphorylation, and increased antioxidant protein expression in the exercise-trained predominantly oxidative muscle.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Increased muscle contractile activity, such as in exercise, enhances antioxidant protein expression in muscles. Nrf2 activation by p62 phosphorylation at Ser351 is a pivotal signal for the exercise-mediated increase in antioxidant protein expression. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating p62 phosphorylation in response to exercise remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that muscle-derived IL-1β modulates exercise-mediated increases in p62 (Ser351) phosphorylation in predominantly oxidative muscles, concomitant with increases in NBR1 protein.