Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is linked to both cigarette smoking and genetic determinants. We have previously identified iron-responsive element binding protein 2 (IRP2) as an important COPD susceptibility gene, with IRP2 protein increased in the lungs of individuals with COPD. Here we demonstrate that mice deficient in Irp2 were protected from cigarette smoke (CS)-induced experimental COPD. By integrating RIP-Seq, RNA-Seq, gene expression and functional enrichment clustering analysis, we identified IRP2 as a regulator of mitochondrial function in the lung. IRP2 increased mitochondrial iron loading and cytochrome c oxidase (COX), which led to mitochondrial dysfunction and subsequent experimental COPD. Frataxin-deficient mice with higher mitochondrial iron loading had impaired airway mucociliary clearance (MCC) and higher pulmonary inflammation at baseline, whereas synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase (Sco2)-deficient mice with reduced COX were protected from CS-induced pulmonary inflammation and impairment of MCC. Mice treated with a mitochondrial iron chelator or mice fed a low-iron diet were protected from CS-induced COPD. Mitochondrial iron chelation also alleviated CS-impairment of MCC, CS-induced pulmonary inflammation and CS-associated lung injury in mice with established COPD, suggesting a critical functional role and potential therapeutic intervention for the mitochondrial-iron axis in COPD.

Rationale Club cell secretory protein-16 (CC16) is the major secreted product of airway Club cells, but its role in the pathogenesis of COPD is unclear. We measured CC16 airway expression in humans with and without COPD and CC16 function in a cigarette smoke (CS)-induced COPD mice model. Methods Airway CC16 expression was measured in COPD patients, smokers without COPD, and non-smokers. We exposed wild-type (WT) and CC16-/- mice to CS or air for up to 6 months, and measured airway CC16 expression, pulmonary inflammation, alveolar septal cell apoptosis, airspace enlargement, airway MUC5AC expression, small airway remodeling, and pulmonary function. Results Smokers and COPD patients had reduced airway CC16 immunostaining that decreased with increasing COPD severity. Exposing mice to CS reduced airway CC16 expression. CC16-/- mice had greater CS-induced emphysema, airway remodeling, pulmonary inflammation, alveolar cell apoptosis, airway MUC5AC expression, and more compliant lungs than WT mice. These changes were associated with increased nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) activation in CC16-/- lungs. CS-induced acute pulmonary changes were reversed by adenoviral-mediated over-expression of CC16. Conclusions CC16 protects lungs from CS-induced injury by reducing lung NFκB activation. CS-induced airway CC16 deficiency increases CS-induced pulmonary inflammation and injury and likely contributes to the pathogenesis of COPD.

Rationale: A genetic locus within the FAM13A gene has been consistently associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in genome-wide association studies. However, the mechanisms by which FAM13A contributes to COPD susceptibility are unknown.Objectives: To determine the biologic function of FAM13A in human COPD and murine COPD models and discover the molecular mechanism by which FAM13A influences COPD susceptibility. ) were generated and exposed to cigarette smoke. The lung inflammatory response and airspace size were assessed in Fam13a 2/2 and Fam13a 1/1 littermate control mice. Cellular localization of FAM13A protein and mRNA levels of FAM13A in COPD lungs were assessed using immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry identified cellular proteins that interact with FAM13A to reveal insights on FAM13A's function. ) were resistant to chronic cigarette smoke-induced emphysema compared with Fam13a 1/1 mice. In vitro, FAM13A interacts with protein phosphatase 2A and recruits protein phosphatase 2A with glycogen synthase kinase 3b and b-catenin, inducing b-catenin degradation. Fam13a 2/2 mice were also resistant to elastase-induced emphysema, and this resistance was reversed by coadministration of a b-catenin inhibitor, suggesting that FAM13A could increase the susceptibility of mice to emphysema development by inhibiting b-catenin signaling. Moreover, human COPD lungs had decreased protein levels of b-catenin and increased protein levels of FAM13A. Conclusions:We show that FAM13A may influence COPD susceptibility by promoting b-catenin degradation.