USP13 facilitates a ferroptosis-to-autophagy switch by activation of the NFE2L2/NRF2-SQSTM1/p62-KEAP1 axis dependent on the KRAS signaling pathway

Macroautophagy/autophagyis a lysosomal-regulated degradation process that participates incellular stress and then promotes cell survival or triggers celldeath. Ferroptosis was initially described as anautophagy-independent, iron-regulated, nonapoptotic cell death.However, recent studies have revealed that autophagy is positivelyassociated with sensitivity to ferroptosis. Nonetheless, themolecular mechanisms by which these two types of regulated cell death(RCD) modulate each other remain largely unclear. Here, we screened85 deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) and found that overexpression ofUSP13 (ubiquitin specific peptidase 13) could significantlyupregulate NFE2L2/NRF2 (NFE2 like bZIP transcription factor 2)protein levels. In addition, in 39 cases of KRAS-mutated lungadenocarcinoma (LUAD), we found that approximately 76% of USP13overexpression is positively correlated with NFE2L2 overexpression.USP13 interacts with and catalyzes the deubiquitination of thetranscription factor NFE2L2. Additionally, USP13 depletion promotesan autophagy-to-ferroptosis switch invitro andin xenograft tumor mouse models, through the activation of theNFE2L2-SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1)-KEAP1 axis in KRAS mutant cellsand tumor tissues. Hence, targeting USP13 effectively switchedautophagy-to-ferroptosis, thereby inhibiting KRAS (KRASproto-oncogene, GTPase) mutant LUAD, suggesting the therapeuticpromise of combining autophagy and ferroptosis in the KRAS-mutantLUAD.Abbreviation: ACSL4: acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4; ACTB: actin beta; AL: autolysosomes; AP: autophagosomes; BCL2L1/BCL-xL: BCL2 like 1; CCK8: Cell Counting Kit-8; CQ: chloroquine; CUL3: cullin 3; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; DOX: doxorubicin; DUB: deubiquitinating enzyme; Ferr-1: ferrostatin-1; GPX4: glutathione peroxidase 4; GSEA: gene set enrichment analysis; 4HNE: 4-hydroxynonenal; IKE: imidazole ketone erastin; KEAP1: kelch like ECH associated protein 1; KRAS: KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase; LCSC: lung squamous cell carcinoma; IF: immunofluorescence; LUAD: lung adenocarcinoma; Lys05: Lys01 trihydrochloride; MAPK1/ERK2/p42: mitogen-activated protein kinase 1; MAPK3/ERK1/p44; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NFE2L2/NRF2: NFE2 like bZIP transcription factor, 2; NQO1: NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1; PG: phagophore; RCD: regulated cell death; RAPA: rapamycin; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SLC7A11/xCT: solute carrier family 7 member 11; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; TUBB/beta-tubulin: tubulin, beta; UPS: ubiquitin-proteasome system; USP13: ubiquitin specific peptidase 13.