Heat‐shock protein B1 upholds the cytoplasm reduced state to inhibit activation of the Hippo pathway in H9c2 cells.

Heat‐shock protein B1 (HSPB1) is a multifunctional protein that protects against oxidative stress; however, its function in antioxidant pathways remains largely unknown. Here, we sought to determine the roles of HSPB1 in H9c2 cells subjected to oxidative stress. Using nonreducing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we found that increased HSPB1 expression promoted the reduced states of glutathione reductase (GR), peroxiredoxin 1 (Prx1), and thioredoxin 1, whereas knockdown of HSPB1 attenuated these responses following oxidative stress. Increased HSPB1 expression promoted the activation of GR and thioredoxin reductase. Conversely, knockdown of HSPB1 attenuated these responses following oxidative stress. Importantly, overexpression of HSPB1 promoted the complex formation between HSPB1 and oxidized Prx1, leading to dephosphorylation of STE‐mammalian STE20‐like kinase 1 (MST1) in H9c2 cells exposed to H2O 2, whereas downregulation of HSPB1 induced the opposite results. Mechanistically, HSPB1 regulated the Hippo pathway by enhancing the dephosphorylation of MST1, resulting in reduced phosphorylation of LATS1 and Yes‐associated protein (YAP). Moreover, HSPB1 regulated YAP‐dependent gene expression. Thus, HSPB1 promoted the reduced state of endogenous antioxidant pathways following oxidative stress in H9c2 cells and improved the redox state of the cytoplasm via modulation of the Hippo signaling pathway. (1)Our study found for the first time that heat‐shock protein B1 (HSPB1) upholds the reduced state of the GSH‐glutaredoxin system and thioredoxin system in oxidative stress injury in H9c2 cells; (2)that HSPB1 interacts with oxidized peroxiredoxin 1 (Prx1); (3)and that HSPB1 inhibited phosphorylation of the Hippo signaling pathway by improving the cytoplasm reduced state and increasing the level of reduced Prx1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]