A cytosolic heat shock protein 90 and co-chaperone p23 complex activates RIPK3/MLKL during necroptosis of endothelial cells in acute respiratory distress syndrome

Necrosis with inflammation plays a crucial role in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIPK3) regulates a newly discovered programmed form of necrosis called necroptosis. However, the underlying mechanism of necroptosis in ARDS remains unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the possible involvement of RIPK3 in ARDS-associated necroptosis. RIPK3 protein levels were found to be significantly elevated in the plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of ARDS patients. Next, we utilised a mouse model of severe ARDS induced with high-dose lipopolysaccharide and found that lung injury was mainly due to RIPK3-mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL)-mediated necroptosis and endothelial dysfunction. The activation of RIPK3-MLKL by tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNFR1-associated death domain protein (TRADD) required catalytically active RIPK1 and the inhibition of Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD)/caspase-8 catalytic activity. We further showed that the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90)/p23, as a novel RIPK3- and MLKL-interacting complex, played an important role in RIP-MLKL-mediated necroptosis, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in the pulmonary vasculature, which resulted in ARDS. Collectively, the results of our study indicate that necroptosis is an important mechanism of cell death in ARDS and the inhibition of necroptosis may be a therapeutic intervention for ARDS. KEY MESSAGES: Lung injury in high-dose LPS-induced severe ARDS is mainly due to RIP3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis and endothelial dysfunction. Chaperone HSP90/p23 is a novel RIP3- and MLKL-interacting complex in HPAECs. HSP90/p23 is a novel RIP3- and MLKL-interacting complex in RIP-MLKL-mediated necroptosis, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.