UC Davis

Protein homeostasis, including protein folding, refolding, and degradation, is thought to decline with aging. HSPB5 (also known as αB-crystallin) prevents target protein aggregation as a molecular chaperone and exhibits a cytoprotective function against various cell stresses. To elucidate the effect of HSPB5 on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, we searched for novel binding proteins of HSPB5 using the proximity-dependent biotin labeling method. Proteins presumed to interact with HSPB5 in cells treated with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 were identified by a reversible biotin-binding capacity method combining tamavidin2-REV magnetic beads and mass spectrometry. We discovered a new binding protein for HSPB5, polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2), which is an apoptosis-related enzyme. The expression of PLK2 was upregulated by MG132 treatment, and it was co-localized with HSPB5 near the ER in L6 muscle cells. Inhibition of PLK2 decreased ER stress-induced phosphorylation of serine 19 in HSPB5 and increased apoptosis by activation of caspase 3 under ER stress. Overexpression of HSPB5 (WT) suppressed the ER stress-induced caspase 3 activity, but this was not observed with phospho-deficient HSPB5 (3A) mutants. These results clarify the role of HSPB5 phosphorylation during ER stress and suggest that the PLK2/HSPB5 pathway plays an essential role in cytoprotection against proteasome inhibition-induced ER stress.