Levels of metacaspase1 and chaperones related to protein quality control in alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Efficient management of misfolded or aggregated proteins in ASH and NASH is crucial for continued hepatic viability. Cellular protein quality control systems play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of ASH and NASH. In a recent study, elevated Mca1 expression counteracted aggregation and accumulation of misfolded proteins and extended the life span of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Hill et al, 2014). Mca1 may also associate with Ssa1 and Hsp104 in disaggregation and fragmentation of aggregated proteins and their subsequent degradation through the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway. If degradation is not available, protection of the cellular environment from a misfolded protein is accomplished by its sequestration into two distinct inclusion bodies (Kaganovich et al., 2008) called the JUNQ (JUxta Nuclear Quality control compartment) and the IPOD (Insoluble Protein Deposit). Mca1, Hsp104, Hsp40, Ydj1, Ssa1, VCP/p97, and p62 all play important roles in protein quality control systems. This study aims to measure the expression of Mca1 and related chaperones involved in protein quality control in alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) compared with normal control liver biopsies. Mca1, Hsp104, Hsp40, Ydj1, Ssa1, VCP/p97, and p62 expressions were measured in three to six formalin-fixed paraffin embedded ASH and NASH liver biopsies and control normal liver specimens by immunofluorescence staining and quantified by immunofluorescence intensity. Mca1, Hsp104, Ydj1 and p62 were significantly upregulated compared to control (p<0.05) in ASH specimens. Hsp40 and VCP/p97 were also uptrending in ASH. In NASH, the only significant difference was the increased expression of Hsp104 compared to control (p<0.05). Ssa1 levels were uptrending in both ASH and NASH specimens. The upregulation of Mca1, Hsp104, Ydj1 and p62 in ASH may be elicited as a response to the chronic exposure of the hepatocytes to the toxicity of alcohol. Recruitment of Mca1, Hsp104, Ydj1 and p62 may indicate that autophagy, the ERAD, JUNQ, and IPOD systems are active in ASH. Whereas in NASH, elevated Hsp104 and uptrending Ssa1 levels may indicate that autophagy and IPOD may be the only active protein quality control systems involved.