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Analysis of institutional authors

Garcia-Yague, Angel JCorresponding AuthorEscoll MAuthorRojo AiAuthorCuadrado AAuthor

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October 30, 2025
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Dual targeting of Keap1 and Gsk-3 by hexaraphane in the regulation of transcription factor Nrf2

Publicated to: Free Radical Biology And Medicine. 239 579-593 - 2025-11-25 239(), DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2025.07.051

Authors:

Garcia-Yague, Angel J; Cueto-Diaz, Eduardo J; Escoll, Maribel; Okunishi, Isao; Hayes, John D; Rodriguez-Franco, Maria Isabel; Rojo, Ana I; Cuadrado, Antonio
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Affiliations

Autonomous Univ Madrid UAM, Sch Med, Dept Biochem, Madrid, Spain - Author
Consejo Super Invest Cient IQM CSIC, Inst Quim Med, Madrid, Spain - Author
Ctr Invest Biomed Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerat, Madrid, Spain - Author
Inst Invest Sanitaria Paz IdiPaz, Madrid, Spain - Author
Kinjirushi Co Ltd, 2-61 Yahata Hontori,Nakagawa Ku, Nagoya, Aichi 4548526, Japan - Author
UAM, Inst Invest Biomed Sols Morreale, CSIC, Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Dundee, Med Sch, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland - Author
Univ Dundee, Ninewells Hosp, Div Canc Res, James Arnott Dr, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland - Author
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Abstract

6-(Methylsulfinyl)hexyl isothiocyanate, here referred to as hexaraphane, is a bioactive compound found in wasabi, which exhibits cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive properties. The beneficial effects of hexaraphane are largely mediated through derepression of transcription factor Nrf2, which is typically repressed via proteasomal degradation mediated by its two-site interaction with the ubiquitin E3 ligase adapter Keap1. Like other isothiocyanates, hexaraphane increases Nrf2 activity by perturbing the Nrf2-Keap1 interaction and stalling Keap1-directed ubiquitination. However, we found that hexaraphane modestly increases Nrf2 levels in Keap1-deficient cells, suggesting an additional Keap1-independent mechanism. Unlike other electrophilic Nrf2 activators, hexaraphane did not significantly impact Erk, p38Mapk, Jnk, or Pten/Pi3k/Akt signaling. Instead, our data reveal that hexaraphane inhibits Gsk-3 beta, a kinase that targets Nrf2 for proteasomal degradation by phosphorylating a DSGIS degron in the transcription factor through which it interacts with the beta-TrCP E3 ligase adaptor. Hexaraphane reduced Nrf2 ubiquitination and its binding to Gsk-3 beta, mimicking the effects of the Gsk-3 beta inhibitor SB216763. In vitro kinase assays confirmed that hexaraphane suppresses Nrf2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, simulations of molecular docking and dynamics predict a specific interaction between hexaraphane and the catalytic groove of Gsk-3 beta. These findings identify hexaraphane as a previously unrecognized dual-acting Nrf2 activator that stabilizes Nrf2 both by disturbing Keap1 binding and by inhibiting Gsk-3 beta that forms the DSGIpS338 phosphodegron.
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Keywords

AnimalsBinding-sitesCellsDynamicsExpressionFunctional-characterizationGlycogen synthase kinase 3 betaGsk-3 betaGsk-3βHexaraphaneHumansInhibitorsIsothiocyanatesKeap1Keap1 protein, humanKelch-like ech-associated protein 1MafMiceMolecular dockingMolecular docking simulationMolecular dynamicsMutationNf-e2-related factor 2Nfe2l2 protein, humanNrf2Protein bindingSignal transductionSulfoxidesSynthase kinase-3 gsk3Tumor-suppressor ptenUbiquitination

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 14/193, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Endocrinology & Metabolism. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-03:

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 2.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 2 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Japan; United Kingdom.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (GARCIA YAGUE, ANGEL JUAN) and Last Author (Cuadrado, Antonio).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been GARCIA YAGUE, ANGEL JUAN.

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Awards linked to the item

This study was funded by KINJIRUSHI Co., Ltd., and the Spanish National Research Agency (PID2021-122650OB-I00, PID2022-141786OB-I00, PDC2021-121421-I00, PDC2022-133765-I00) , CIBERNED/ISCIII (CB06/05/0010) , and the Autonomous Community of Madrid (P2022_BMD-7230) .
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