scholarly journals Caspases Are Activated in a Branched Protease Cascade and Control Distinct Downstream Processes in Fas-induced Apoptosis

1998 ◽  
Vol 187 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirokazu Hirata ◽  
Atsushi Takahashi ◽  
Susumu Kobayashi ◽  
Shin Yonehara ◽  
Hirofumi Sawai ◽  
...  

Two novel synthetic tetrapeptides, VEID-CHO and DMQD-CHO, could selectively inhibit caspase-6 and caspase-3, respectively. We used these inhibitors to dissect the pathway of caspase activation in Fas-stimulated Jurkat cells and identify the roles of each active caspase in apoptotic processes. Affinity labeling techniques revealed a branched protease cascade in which caspase-8 activates caspase-3 and -7, and caspase-3, in turn, activates caspase-6. Both caspase-6 and -3 have major roles in nuclear apoptosis. Caspase-6 cleaves nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) and mediates the shrinkage and fragmentation of nuclei. Caspase-3 cleaves NuMA at sites distinct from caspase-6, and mediates DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation. It is also involved in extranuclear apoptotic events: cleavage of PAK2, formation of apoptotic bodies, and exposure of phosphatidylserine on the cell surface. In contrast, a caspase(s) distinct from caspase-3 or -6 mediates the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (permeability transition) and the shrinkage of cytoplasm. These findings demonstrate that caspases are organized in a protease cascade, and that each activated caspase plays a distinct role(s) in the execution of Fas-induced cell death.

2001 ◽  
Vol 353 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice Xavier PETIT ◽  
Marie-Claude GENDRON ◽  
Nicolas SCHRANTZ ◽  
Didier MÉTIVIER ◽  
Guido KROEMER ◽  
...  

Jurkat T cells showed a major, early decrease in blue autofluorescence in response to Fas/Apo-1/CD95 cross-linking or stimulation with cell-permeant ceramide. This indicates the oxidation/depletion of NADH or NADPH before the onset of apoptosis. Kinetic studies, cytofluorimetric multiparameter analyses and cell sorting experiments indicated a close temporal relationship between NAD(P)H oxidation/depletion and the dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (∆Ψm). In contrast, NAD(P)H depletion was detected well before several other changes associated with late apoptosis, including enhanced superoxide generation, phosphatidylserine exposure on the cell surface, loss of cytosolic K+, decreased cytoplasmic pH, nuclear DNA fragmentation, cell shrinkage, loss of viability and the appearance of the mitochondrial antigen APO2.7. Full activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3 appeared to be correlated with the appearance of superoxide anions in the mitochondria, and followed the drop in NADPH. Overexpression of the apoptosis-inhibitory proto-oncogene Bcl-2, which encodes an inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition (PT) pore, delayed both the ∆Ψm disruption and the depletion of NAD(P)H. Similar effects were observed with the pharmacological PT pore inhibitors, bongkrekic acid and cyclosporin A. Thus there appears to be a close functional relationship between mitochondrial and cellular redox changes during early apoptosis; events that are inhibited by Bcl-2.


1998 ◽  
Vol 132 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 7-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Shimura ◽  
Emiko Okuma ◽  
Akira Yuo ◽  
Takehito Sasaki ◽  
Chiaki Mukai ◽  
...  

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6353-6364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia A. Bradham ◽  
Ting Qian ◽  
Konrad Streetz ◽  
Christian Trautwein ◽  
David A. Brenner ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT This study assesses the controversial role of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in apoptosis. In primary rat hepatocytes expressing an IκB superrepressor, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) induced apoptosis as shown by nuclear morphology, DNA ladder formation, and caspase 3 activation. Confocal microscopy showed that TNFα induced onset of the MPT and mitochondrial depolarization beginning 9 h after TNFα treatment. Initially, depolarization and the MPT occurred in only a subset of mitochondria; however, by 12 h after TNFα treatment, virtually all mitochondria were affected. Cyclosporin A (CsA), an inhibitor of the MPT, blocked TNFα-mediated apoptosis and cytochrome c release. Caspase 3 activation, cytochrome c release, and apoptotic nuclear morphological changes were induced after onset of the MPT and were prevented by CsA. Depolarization and onset of the MPT were blocked in hepatocytes expressing ΔFADD, a dominant negative mutant of Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD), or crmA, a natural serpin inhibitor of caspases. In contrast, Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-cho, an inhibitor of caspase 3, did not block depolarization or onset of the MPT induced by TNFα, although it inhibited cell death completely. In conclusion, the MPT is an essential component in the signaling pathway for TNFα-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes which is required for both cytochrome c release and cell death and functions downstream of FADD and crmA but upstream of caspase 3.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 5659-5674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh K. Srivastava ◽  
Steven J. Sollott ◽  
Leila Khan ◽  
Richard Hansford ◽  
Edward G. Lakatta ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL prevent apoptosis, but their mechanism of action is unclear. We examined the role of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL in the regulation of cytosolic Ca2+, nitric oxide production (NO), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, and apoptosis in Jurkat T cells. Thapsigargin (TG), an inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated Ca2+ATPase, was used to disrupt Ca2+ homeostasis. TG acutely elevated intracellular free Ca2+ and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels and induced NO production and apoptosis in Jurkat cells transfected with vector (JT/Neo). Buffering of this Ca2+ response with 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid tetra(acetoxymethyl) ester (BAPTA-AM) or inhibiting NO synthase activity with N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME) blocked TG-induced NO production and apoptosis in JT/Neo cells. By contrast, while TG produced comparable early changes in the Ca2+ level (i.e., within 3 h) in Jurkat cells overexpressing Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL (JT/Bcl-2 or JT/Bcl-XL), NO production, late (36-h) Ca2+ accumulation, and apoptosis were dramatically reduced compared to those in JT/Neo cells. Exposure of JT/Bcl-2 and JT/Bcl-XL cells to the NO donor,S-nitroso-N-acetylpenacillamine (SNAP) resulted in apoptosis comparable to that seen in JT/Neo cells. TG also activated the JNK pathway, which was blocked by l-NAME. Transient expression of a dominant negative mutant SEK1 (Lys→Arg), an upstream kinase of JNK, prevented both TG-induced JNK activation and apoptosis. A dominant negative c-Jun mutant also reduced TG-induced apoptosis. Overexpression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL inhibited TG-induced loss in mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochromec, and activation of caspase-3 and JNK. Inhibition of caspase-3 activation blocked TG-induced JNK activation, suggesting that JNK activation occurred downstream of caspase-3. Thus, TG-induced Ca2+ release leads to NO generation followed by mitochondrial changes including cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. Caspase-3 activation leads to activation of the JNK pathway and apoptosis. In summary, Ca2+-dependent activation of NO production mediates apoptosis after TG exposure in JT/Neo cells. JT/Bcl-2 and JT/Bcl-XL cells are susceptible to NO-mediated apoptosis, but Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL protect the cells against TG-induced apoptosis by negatively regulating Ca2+-sensitive NO synthase activity or expression.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 2177-2177
Author(s):  
Duncan H Mak ◽  
Christa Manton ◽  
Michael Andreeff ◽  
Bing Z Carter

Abstract Abstract 2177 The antiapoptotic function of the inhibitors of apoptosis family of proteins (IAPs) is antagonized by mitochondria-released SMAC protein. The IAP-member XIAP suppresses apoptosis by directly binding and inhibiting caspase-9 and caspase-3, while cIAP1, a component of the cytoplasmic signaling complex containing TNF receptor associated factors, suppresses apoptosis via the caspase-8-mediated pathway. BV-6 (Genentech) is a bivalent SMAC-mimetic and has been shown to promote cell death by inducing cIAP autoubiquitination, NF-κB activation, and TNFα-dependent apoptosis. We examined its effect on leukemic cells and found that BV-6 only moderately induced apoptosis. The EC50 was found to be 15.3±5.1 μM at 48 hours in OCI-AML3 cells which are relatively sensitive. We then determined whether BV-6 sensitizes leukemic cells to the HDM2-inhibitor nutlin-3a and to Ara-C. p53 modulates the expression and activity of Bcl-2 family proteins and promotes the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. We showed previously that activation of p53 by nutlin-3a sensitizes AML cells to XIAP inhibition induced-death in part by promoting the release of SMAC from mitochondrion (Carter BZ et al., Blood 2010). We treated OCI-AML3 cells with BV-6, nutlin-3a or Ara-C, and BV-6+nutlin-3a or BV-6+Ara-C and found that the combination of BV-6 and nutlin-3a or BV-6 and Ara-C synergistically induced cell death in OCI-AML3 cells with a combination index (CI) of 0.27±0.11 and 0.22±0.05 (48 hours), respectively. To demonstrate that p53 activation is essential for the synergism of BV-6+nutlin-3a combination, we treated OCI-AML3 vector control and p53 knockdown cells with these two agents and found that the combination synergistically promoted cell death in the vector control (CI=0.47±0.15) but not in the p53 knockdown cells, as expected, while BV6+Ara-C was synergistic in both vector control and p53 knockdown cells (CI=0.15±0.03 and 0.08±0.03, respectively, 48 hours). BV-6 induced activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 and decreased XIAP levels, but did not cause rapid cIAP1 degradation, as reported by others. To assess the contribution of death receptor-mediated apoptosis in BV-6-induced cell death, we treated Jurkat and caspase-8 mutated Jurkat cells (JurkatI9.2) with BV-6 and found that BV-6 induced cell death and significantly potentiated TRAIL-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells (CI=0.14±0.08, 48 hours). Caspase-8 mutated JurkatI9.2 cells were significantly less sensitive to BV-6 than Jurkat cells and as expected, JurkatI9.2 was completely resistant to TRAIL. Collectively, we showed that the bivalent SMAC-mimetic BV-6 potentiates p53 activation-, chemotherapy-, and TRAIL-induced cell death, but has only minimal activity by itself in leukemic cells. SMAC-mimetics could be useful in enhancing the efficacy of different classes of therapeutic agents used in AML therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


1997 ◽  
Vol 139 (4) ◽  
pp. 1005-1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumiko Toyoshima ◽  
Tetsuo Moriguchi ◽  
Eisuke Nishida

IL-1β converting enzyme (ICE) family cysteine proteases are subdivided into three groups; ICE-, CPP32-, and Ich-1–like proteases. In Fas-induced apoptosis, activation of ICE-like proteases is followed by activation of CPP32-like proteases which is thought to be essential for execution of the cell death. It was recently reported that two subfamily members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase superfamily, JNK/SAPK and p38, are activated during Fas-induced apoptosis. Here, we have shown that MKK7, but not SEK1/ MKK4, is activated by Fas as an activator for JNK/ SAPK and that MKK6 is a major activator for p38 in Fas signaling. Then, to dissect various cellular responses induced by Fas, we used several peptide inhibitors for ICE family proteases in Fas-treated Jurkat cells and KB cells. While Z-VAD-FK which inhibited almost all the Fas-induced cellular responses blocked the activation of JNK/SAPK and p38, Ac-DEVD-CHO and Z-DEVD-FK, specific inhibitors for CPP32-like proteases, which inhibited the Fas-induced chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation did not block the activation of JNK/SAPK and p38. Interestingly, these DEVD-type inhibitors did not block the Fas-induced morphological changes (cell shrinkage and surface blebbing), induction of Apo2.7 antigen, or the cell death (as assessed by the dye exclusion ability). These results suggest that the Fas-induced activation of the JNK/SAPK and p38 signaling pathways does not require CPP32-like proteases and that CPP32-like proteases, although essential for apoptotic nuclear events (such as chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation), are not required for other apoptotic events in the cytoplasm or the cell death itself. Thus, the Fas signaling pathway diverges into multiple, separate processes, each of which may be responsible for part of the apoptotic cellular responses.


2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Mlejnek

The role of caspase proteases in carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP)-induced apoptosis of human promyelocytic HL-60 cells was examined. Treatment of HL-60 cells with micromolar concentrations of CCCP resulted in cell death, with typical apoptotic features such as chromatin condensation, formation of apoptotic bodies, nucleosomal fragmentation of DNA and a distinct increase in caspase-3 activity. The results, however, indicated that full caspase-3 inhibition by the selective inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp fluoromethyl ketone (Z-DEVD-FMK) did not prevent cell death, nor did it affect the manifestation of apoptotic hallmarks, including apoptotic bodies formation and nucleosomal DNA fragmentation. The only distinct effect that Z-DEVD-FMK exhibited was to retard the disruption of the plasma membrane. We therefore assume that caspase-3 activity itself is not essential for the manifestation of apoptotic features mentioned above. Similarly, the pan-specific caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp fluoromethyl ketone (Z-VAD-FMK) did not prevent cell death. On the contrary, Z-VAD-FMK completely prevented DNA cleavage and apoptotic body formation, but it failed to completely counteract chromatin condensation. Thus, in the presence of Z-VAD-FMK, application of CCCP concentrations that otherwise induced apoptosis, resulted in the appearance of two morphologically different groups of dead cells with intact DNA. The first group included cells with necrotic-like nuclear morphology, and therefore could be taken as being “truly” necrotic in nature, because they had intact DNA. The cells of the second group formed small single-spherical nuclei with condensed chromatin. In spite of having intact DNA, they could not be taken as “truly” necrotic cells. It is evident that in the experimental system, caspase proteases play an essential role in the formation of apoptotic bodies and in the cleavage of nucleosomal DNA, but not in the condensation of chromatin. Therefore, it is likely that the choice between cell death modalities is not solely a matter of the caspase proteases present.


2008 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kurita-Ochiai ◽  
S. Seto ◽  
N. Suzuki ◽  
M. Yamamoto ◽  
K. Otsuka ◽  
...  

Butyric acid, an extracellular metabolite from periodontopathic bacteria, induces apoptosis in murine and human T- and B-cells, whereas intact gingival fibroblasts isolated from healthy humans are resistant to butyric-acid-induced apoptosis. We examined the susceptibility of inflamed gingival fibroblasts isolated from adult persons with periodontitis to butyric-acid-induced apoptosis. Butyric acid significantly suppressed the viability of inflamed gingival fibroblasts and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The incubation of inflamed gingival fibroblasts with butyric acid induced DNA fragmentation and apoptotic changes such as chromatin condensation, hypodiploid nuclei, and mitochondrial injury. Furthermore, butyric-acid-induced apoptosis in inflamed gingival fibroblasts was reduced by caspase-3/7, -6, -8, and -9 inhibitors. Thus, inflamed gingival fibroblasts from adult persons with periodontitis appear to be highly susceptible to mitochondria- and caspase-dependent apoptosis induced by butyric acid, compared with healthy gingival fibroblasts.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kamarajan ◽  
Chuck C.-K. Chao

Recently, apoptosis (genetically programmed cell death) induced by UV hasbeen documented in some cell culture models. However, the significance ofapoptosis in UV-induced cytotoxicity and resistance is uncertain. In thisstudy, we investigated the induction of apoptosis in HeLa cells and itsrole in acquired UV-resistance. The membrane receptor Fas was induced toassembly, and its immediate downstream target, caspase-8, was induced byUV in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Caspase-10, another possiblecandidate for forming the death-inducing signaling complex with Fas, wasalso activated in a dose- and time-dependent manner. There was significantactivation of caspase 9, 3 and 2 by UV. The apoptotic pathways appeared tobe normal in acquired UV-resistant HeLa cells. In addition, there was a UVdose-dependent induction of chromatin condensation in both parental andUV-resistant cells. However, resistant cells displayed significant reductionin chromatin condensation at lower doses. Inhibition of caspase-3 activation byspecific inhibitor significantly reduced the chromatin condensation in bothcell types, and unexpectedly, the difference between the two cell lines wascompletely eradicated, suggesting that the caspase-3 pathway plays asignificant role in reducing apoptosis in resistant cells. The resultsindicate that UV induces apoptosis by direct activation of apoptoticproteins in HeLa and resistant cells. Although resistant cells displayedpartial inhibition of UV-induced apoptosis through the caspase-3 pathway,there was no consistent difference in the activation of this and relatedcaspase-9 caspases compared to parental HeLa cells.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document