Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteins

Many life processes are regulated by physiological redox signaling, but excessive oxidative stress can damage biomolecules and contribute to disease. Neuronal microtubules are critically involved in axon homeostasis, regulation of axonal transport, and neurodegenerative processes. However, whether a...

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Main Authors: Christian Conze, Nataliya I. Trushina, Nanci Monteiro-Abreu, Lisha Singh, Daniel Villar Romero, Eike Wienbeuker, Anna-Sophie Schwarze, Michael Holtmannspötter, Lidia Bakota, Roland Brandt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Redox Biology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231725001399
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author Christian Conze
Nataliya I. Trushina
Nanci Monteiro-Abreu
Lisha Singh
Daniel Villar Romero
Eike Wienbeuker
Anna-Sophie Schwarze
Michael Holtmannspötter
Lidia Bakota
Roland Brandt
author_facet Christian Conze
Nataliya I. Trushina
Nanci Monteiro-Abreu
Lisha Singh
Daniel Villar Romero
Eike Wienbeuker
Anna-Sophie Schwarze
Michael Holtmannspötter
Lidia Bakota
Roland Brandt
author_sort Christian Conze
collection DOAJ
description Many life processes are regulated by physiological redox signaling, but excessive oxidative stress can damage biomolecules and contribute to disease. Neuronal microtubules are critically involved in axon homeostasis, regulation of axonal transport, and neurodegenerative processes. However, whether and how physiological redox signaling affects axonal microtubules is largely unknown. Using live cell imaging and super-resolution microscopy, we show that subtoxic concentrations of the central redox metabolite hydrogen peroxide increase axonal microtubule dynamics, alter the structure of the axonal microtubule array, and affect the efficiency of axonal transport. We report that the mitochondria-targeting antioxidant SkQ1 and the microtubule stabilizer EpoD abolish the increase in microtubule dynamics. We found that hydrogen peroxide specifically modulates the phosphorylation state of microtubule-regulating proteins, which differs from arsenite as an alternative stress inducer, and induces a largely non-overlapping phosphorylation pattern of MAP1B as a main target. Cell-wide phosphoproteome analysis revealed signaling pathways that are inversely activated by hydrogen peroxide and arsenite. In particular, hydrogen peroxide treatment was associated with kinases that suppress apoptosis and regulate brain metabolism (PRKDC, CK2, PDKs), suggesting that these pathways play a central role in physiological redox signaling and modulation of axonal microtubule organization. The results suggest that the redox metabolite and second messenger hydrogen peroxide induces rapid and local reorganization of the microtubule array in response to mitochondrial activity or as a messenger from neighboring cells by activating specific signaling cascades.
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spelling doaj-art-161a2a64c259444f930fca5e868693332025-08-20T02:31:56ZengElsevierRedox Biology2213-23172025-06-018310362610.1016/j.redox.2025.103626Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteinsChristian Conze0Nataliya I. Trushina1Nanci Monteiro-Abreu2Lisha Singh3Daniel Villar Romero4Eike Wienbeuker5Anna-Sophie Schwarze6Michael Holtmannspötter7Lidia Bakota8Roland Brandt9Department of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyCenter for Cellular Nanoanalytics, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, GermanyDepartment of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Germany; Center for Cellular Nanoanalytics, Osnabrück University, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Germany; Corresponding author. Department of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Germany.Many life processes are regulated by physiological redox signaling, but excessive oxidative stress can damage biomolecules and contribute to disease. Neuronal microtubules are critically involved in axon homeostasis, regulation of axonal transport, and neurodegenerative processes. However, whether and how physiological redox signaling affects axonal microtubules is largely unknown. Using live cell imaging and super-resolution microscopy, we show that subtoxic concentrations of the central redox metabolite hydrogen peroxide increase axonal microtubule dynamics, alter the structure of the axonal microtubule array, and affect the efficiency of axonal transport. We report that the mitochondria-targeting antioxidant SkQ1 and the microtubule stabilizer EpoD abolish the increase in microtubule dynamics. We found that hydrogen peroxide specifically modulates the phosphorylation state of microtubule-regulating proteins, which differs from arsenite as an alternative stress inducer, and induces a largely non-overlapping phosphorylation pattern of MAP1B as a main target. Cell-wide phosphoproteome analysis revealed signaling pathways that are inversely activated by hydrogen peroxide and arsenite. In particular, hydrogen peroxide treatment was associated with kinases that suppress apoptosis and regulate brain metabolism (PRKDC, CK2, PDKs), suggesting that these pathways play a central role in physiological redox signaling and modulation of axonal microtubule organization. The results suggest that the redox metabolite and second messenger hydrogen peroxide induces rapid and local reorganization of the microtubule array in response to mitochondrial activity or as a messenger from neighboring cells by activating specific signaling cascades.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231725001399MicrotubulesTauAxonRedox signallingHydrogen peroxide
spellingShingle Christian Conze
Nataliya I. Trushina
Nanci Monteiro-Abreu
Lisha Singh
Daniel Villar Romero
Eike Wienbeuker
Anna-Sophie Schwarze
Michael Holtmannspötter
Lidia Bakota
Roland Brandt
Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteins
Redox Biology
Microtubules
Tau
Axon
Redox signalling
Hydrogen peroxide
title Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteins
title_full Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteins
title_fullStr Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteins
title_full_unstemmed Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteins
title_short Redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule-regulating proteins
title_sort redox signaling modulates axonal microtubule organization and induces a specific phosphorylation signature of microtubule regulating proteins
topic Microtubules
Tau
Axon
Redox signalling
Hydrogen peroxide
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231725001399
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