Lycopene prevents carcinogen-induced cutaneous tumor by enhancing activation of the Nrf2 pathway through p62-triggered autophagic Keap1 degradation

Biologically active natural products have been used for the chemoprevention of cutaneous tumors. Lycopene is the main active phytochemical in tomatoes. We herein aimed to assess the cancer preventive effects of lycopene and to find potential molecular targets. In chemically-induced cutaneous tumor mice and cell models, lycopene attenuated cutaneous tumor incidence and multiplicity as well as the tumorigenesis of normal cutaneous cells in phase-selectivity (only in the promotion phase) manners. By utilizing a comprehensive approach combining bioinformatics with network pharmacology, we predicted that intracellular autophagy and redox status were associated with lycopene’s preventive effect on cutaneous tumors. Lycopene stimulated the activation of antioxidant enzymes and the translocation of the transcription factor Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) that predominantly maintained intracellular redox equilibrium. The cancer chemopreventive effects were mediated by Nrf2. Further, lycopene enhanced the expression of autophagy protein p62. Therefore this led to the degradation of Keap1(Kelch ECH associating protein 1), the main protein locking Nrf2 in cytoplasm. In conclusion, our study provides preclinical evidence of the chemopreventive effects of lycopene on cutaneous tumors and reveals the mechanistic link between lycopene’s stimulation of Nrf2 signaling pathway and p62-mediated degradation of Keap1 via the autophagy-lysosomal pathway.