Peroxiredoxin 5 prevents amyloid-beta oligomer-induced neuronal cell death by inhibiting ERK-Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is caused by amyloid-beta oligomers (AβOs). AβOs induce cell death by triggering oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. A recent study showed that AβO-induced oxidative stress is associated with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-dynamin related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial fission. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are regulated by antioxidant enzymes, especially peroxiredoxins (Prxs) that scavenge H2O2. These enzymes inhibit neuronal cell death induced by various neurotoxic reagents. However, it is unclear whether Prx5, which is specifically expressed in neuronal cells, protects these cells from AβO-induced damage. In this study, we found that Prx5 expression was upregulated by AβO-induced oxidative stress and that Prx5 decreased ERK-Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation and apoptosis of HT-22 neuronal cells. Prx5 expression was affected by AβO, and amelioration of oxidative stress by N-acetyl-L-cysteine decreased AβO-induced Prx5 expression. Prx5 overexpression reduced ROS as well as RNS and apoptotic cell death but Prx5 knockdown did not. In addition, Prx5 overexpression ameliorated ERK-Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation but Prx5 knockdown did not. These results indicated that inducible Prx5 expression by AβO plays a key role in inhibiting both ERK-Drp1-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and neuronal cell death by regulating oxidative stress. Thus, Prx5 may be a new therapeutic agent for treating AD.