p62/SQSTM1-KEAP1 complex prevents clearance of ubiquitinated Z alpha-1 antitrypsin and aggravates liver proteotoxicity.

Liver disease in Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is caused by the toxic accumulation of mutant Z alpha-1 antitrypsin (Z-AAT) within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hepatocytes. Livers from PiZ transgenic mice expressing the human Z-AAT and AATD patients were both found to have increased p62/SQSTM1, a multifunctional protein involved in protein homeostasis, consistent with previous reports. However, whether p62/SQSTM1 is a marker of Z-AAT globules or plays an active role in Z-AAT proteostasis is unclear. The goal of this study was to elucidate the involvement of p62/SQSTM1 in the formation of Z-AAT globules that are responsible for liver injury in AATD. In the present study, we found that p62/SQSTM1 decorated ubiquitin-positive, Periodic-Acid Shiff-diastase-resistant Z-AAT globules and interacted with Z-AAT at the ER-cytosol interface. Genetic ablation of p62/SQSTM1 in PiZ mice (PiZ;p62-/-) led to marked reduction in hepatic Z-AAT globules and polymers, and decreased serum Z-AAT, highlighting a central role for p62/SQSTM1 in disease pathogenesis. Moreover, hepatocyte-specific somatic deletion of the ubiquitin-association (UBA) domain of p62/SQSTM1 reduced Z-AAT aggregation. Furthermore, KEAP1 was identified as a binding partner of p62/SQSTM1-Z-AAT complex, leading to nuclear translocation and activation of NRF2. Inhibition of KEAP1-p62/SQSTM1 interaction reduced the abundance of p62 and phosphorylated p62, decreased intracellular Z-AAT, and redistributed NRF2 to the cytoplasm. In conclusion, this study identifies p62/SQSTM1 as a regulator of Z-AAT proteostasis and link Z-AAT/p62 accumulation to KEAP1 sequestration and NRF2 pathway activation in liver disease due to Z-AAT.