Protein folding dependence on selenoprotein M contributes to steady cartilage extracellular matrix repressing ferroptosis via PERK/ATF4/CHAC1 axis.

Objective: Initiation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is pivotal to the advancement of osteoarthritis (OA). We aimed to explore the function of ER-resident selenoprotein M (SELM) in cartilage-forming chondrocytes, investigating how SELM participates in cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism and ER stress modulation.

Methods: Articular cartilage samples with knee OA undergoing total knee arthroplasty were categorised into OA-smooth and OA-damaged groups, with primary chondrocytes extracted from smooth areas. Destabilization of the medial meniscus was induced in male C57BL6/J mice, with sham operations on the left knee as controls. After 8 weeks, knee joint tissues were collected for analysis. Histology and immunohistochemistry examined cartilage damage. Molecular biology techniques investigated how SELM affects ECM metabolism and ER stress regulation. RNA sequencing revealed the pathway changes after SELM intervention. AlphaFold demonstrated how SELM interacts with other molecules. Cultured cartilage explants helped determine the effects of SELM supplementation.

Results: SELM expression was reduced in the damaged cartilage. Increasing SELM levels positively impacted ECM equilibrium. Decreasing SELM expression activated genes linked to degenerative ailments and impaired the cellular response to misfolded proteins, initiating the PERK/P-EIF2A/ATF4 pathway and exacerbating GSH/GSSG imbalance via the ATF4/CHAC1 axis. SELM likely participated in protein folding and modification by leveraging its thioredoxin domains. In vitro SELM supplementation mitigated IL-1β effects on damaged cartilage explants and suppressed beneficial chondrocyte phenotypes.

Conclusions: Our results confirm the involvement of SELM in ER stress-induced cartilage damage as well as protein folding, pointing to new directions in molecular therapy for degenerative diseases.