Decreased levels of constitutive proteasomes in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis may be caused by a combination of subunit displacement and reduced Nfe2l1 expression.

The goal of this study was to determine if subunit displacement and/or alterations in proteasome biosynthesis could explain the changes observed in the levels of constitutive proteasomes (c-20S) and immunoproteasomes (i-20S) in the spinal cords of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To this end, EAE was induced in C57BL/6 mice by immunization with MOG35-55 peptide. Spinal cords were collected at different times during the disease course and used for western blotting, RNA analysis, and immunohistochemistry. The results show that, as expression of i-20S and the activator PA28 rise in EAE, there is a concomitant decline in that of c-20S at the mRNA and protein level. These changes are observed in neurons and astrocytes but not in oligodendrocytes. The increased amounts of the i-20S-specific subunit β5i and PA28α/β in EAE correlate with the levels of interferon-γ and its downstream effectors p-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and interferon regulatory factor-1, but not with those of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells. This suggests that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1/interferon regulatory factor-1 pathway is solely responsible for the induction of these subunits. The decrease in the mRNA and protein levels corresponding to the c-20S-specific subunit β5 may also be due to reduced expression of the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like-1 (Nrf1 or Nfe2l1), specifically Nrf1α and Nrf1β. Low Nfe2l1 mRNA expression is unlikely caused by reduced mammalian target of rapamycin signaling but could be the result of diminished pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox-1 transcription factor levels. Together, these findings suggest that a combination of subunit displacement and reduced Nrf1 expression may be responsible for c-20S impairment in EAE. The present work provides insights into the dynamics of proteasome expression in the CNS of EAE mice and is the first to explore Nrf1 signaling in an inflammatory demyelinating disorder.