Ribosomal protein S3-derived repair domain peptides regulate UV-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major factor that causes wrinkle formation by affecting the collagen level in the skin. Here, we show that a short peptide (A8) derived from the repair domain of the ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) reduces UV irradiation-induced increase in matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and prevents collagen degradation by reducing the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling proteins (extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK], p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinases [JNK]) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in cells. Furthermore, A8 also prevents the increase in the levels of inflammatory modulators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) in UV-irradiated cells. Collectively, our study suggests that the A8 peptide, derived from yeast or human, has anti-photoaging potential as it prevents UV-induced wrinkle formation.