Apaf-1 and caspase-9 in p53-dependent apoptosis and tumor inhibition.
(9/2233)
The ability of p53 to promote apoptosis in response to mitogenic oncogenes appears to be critical for its tumor suppressor function. Caspase-9 and its cofactor Apaf-1 were found to be essential downstream components of p53 in Myc-induced apoptosis. Like p53 null cells, mouse embryo fibroblast cells deficient in Apaf-1 and caspase-9, and expressing c-Myc, were resistant to apoptotic stimuli that mimic conditions in developing tumors. Inactivation of Apaf-1 or caspase-9 substituted for p53 loss in promoting the oncogenic transformation of Myc-expressing cells. These results imply a role for Apaf-1 and caspase-9 in controlling tumor development. (+info)
CIPER, a novel NF kappaB-activating protein containing a caspase recruitment domain with homology to Herpesvirus-2 protein E10.
(10/2233)
We have identified and characterized CIPER, a novel protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (CARD) in its N terminus and a C-terminal region rich in serine and threonine residues. The CARD of CIPER showed striking similarity to E10, a product of the equine herpesvirus-2. CIPER formed homodimers via its CARD and interacted with viral E10 but not with several apoptosis regulators containing CARDs including ARC, RAIDD, RICK, caspase-2, caspase-9, or Apaf-1. Expression of CIPER induced NF-kappaB activation, which was inhibited by dominant-negative NIK and a nonphosphorylable IkappaB-alpha mutant but not by dominant-negative RIP. Mutational analysis revealed that the N-terminal region of CIPER containing the CARD was sufficient and necessary for NF-kappaB-inducing activity. Point mutations in highly conserved residues in the CARD of CIPER disrupted the ability of CIPER to activate NF-kappaB and to form homodimers, indicating that the CARD is essential for NF-kappaB activation and dimerization. We propose that CIPER acts in a NIK-dependent pathway of NF-kappaB activation. (+info)
mE10, a novel caspase recruitment domain-containing proapoptotic molecule.
(11/2233)
Apoptotic signaling is mediated by homophilic interactions between conserved domains present in components of the death pathway. The death domain, death effector domain, and caspase recruitment domain (CARD) are examples of such interaction motifs. We have identified a novel mammalian CARD-containing adaptor molecule termed mE10 (mammalian E10). The N-terminal CARD of mE10 exhibits significant homology (47% identity and 64% similarity) to the CARD of a gene from Equine Herpesvirus type 2. The C-terminal region is unique. Overexpression of mE10 in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells induces apoptosis. Mutational analysis indicates that CARD-mediated mE10 oligomerization is essential for killing activity. The C terminus of mE10 bound to the zymogen form of caspase-9 and promoted its processing to the active dimeric species. Taken together, these data suggest a model where autoproteolytic activation of pro-caspase-9 is mediated by mE10-induced oligomerization. (+info)
Ordering of ceramide formation, caspase activation, and mitochondrial changes during CD95- and DNA damage-induced apoptosis.
(12/2233)
To evaluate the role of ceramide (Cer) in apoptosis signaling, we examined Cer formation induced by CD95, etoposide, or gamma-radiation (IR) in relation to caspase activation and mitochondrial changes in Jurkat T cells. The Cer response to all three stimuli was mapped in between caspases sensitive to benzoyloxycarbonyl-VAD-fluoromethylketone (zVAD-fmk) and acetyl-DEVD-aldehyde (DEVD-CHO). Cer production was independent of nuclear fragmentation but associated with the occurrence of other aspects of the apoptotic morphology. Caspase-8 inhibition abrogated Cer formation and apoptosis induced by CD95 but did not affect the response to etoposide or IR, placing CD95-induced Cer formation downstream from caspase-8 and excluding a role for caspase-8 in the DNA damage pathways. CD95 signaling to the mitochondria required caspase-8, whereas cytochrome c release in response to DNA damage was caspase-independent. These results indicate that the caspases required for the Cer response to etoposide and IR reside at or downstream from the mitochondria. Bcl-2 overexpression abrogated the Cer response to etoposide and IR and reduced CD95-induced Cer accumulation. We conclude that the Cer response to DNA damage fully depends on mitochondrion-dependent caspases, whereas the response to CD95 partially relies on these caspases. Our data imply that Cer is not instrumental in the activation of inducer caspases or signaling to the mitochondria. Rather, Cer formation is associated with the execution phase of apoptosis. (+info)
Caspase-8 is required for cell death induced by expanded polyglutamine repeats.
(13/2233)
We show here that caspase-8 is required for the death of primary rat neurons induced by an expanded polyglutamine repeat (Q79). Expression of Q79 recruited and activated caspase-8. Inhibition of caspase-8 blocked polyglutamine-induced cell death. Coexpression of Q79 with the caspase inhibitor CrmA, a dominant-negative mutant of FADD (FADD DN), Bcl-2, or Bcl-xL, but not an N-terminally tagged Bcl-xL, prevented the recruitment of caspase-8 and inhibited polyglutamine-induced cell death. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed the presence of activated caspase-8 in the insoluble fraction of affected brain regions from Huntington's disease (HD) patients but not in those from neurologically unremarkable controls, suggesting the relocation and activation of caspase-8 during the pathogenesis of HD. These results suggest an essential role of caspase-8 in HD-related neural degenerative diseases. (+info)
Cell death attenuation by 'Usurpin', a mammalian DED-caspase homologue that precludes caspase-8 recruitment and activation by the CD-95 (Fas, APO-1) receptor complex.
(14/2233)
Apoptotic cell suicide initiated by ligation of CD95 (Fas/APO-1) occurs through recruitment, oligomerization and autocatalytic activation of the cysteine protease, caspase-8 (MACH, FLICE, Mch5). An endogenous mammalian regulator of this process, named Usurpin, has been identified (aliases for Usurpin include CASH, Casper, CLARP, FLAME-1, FLIP, I-FLICE and MRIT). This protein is ubiquitously expressed and exists as at least three isoforms arising by alternative mRNA splicing. The Usurpin gene is comprised of 13 exons and is clustered within approximately 200 Kb with the caspase-8 and -10 genes on human chromosome 2q33-34. The Usurpin polypeptide has features in common with pro-caspase-8 and -10, including tandem 'death effector domains' on the N-terminus of a large subunit/small subunit caspase-like domain, but it lacks key residues that are necessary for caspase proteolytic activity, including the His and Cys which form the catalytic substrates diad, and residues that stabilize the P1 aspartic acid in substrates. Retro-mutation of these residues to functional caspase counterparts failed to restore proteolytic activity, indicating that other determinants also ensure the absence of catalytic potential. Usurpin heterodimerized with pro-caspase-8 in vitro and precluded pro-caspase-8 recruitment by the FADD/MORT1 adapter protein. Cell death induced by CD95 (Fas/APO-1) ligation was attenuated in cells transfected with Usurpin. In vivo, a Usurpin deficit was found in cardiac infarcts where TUNEL-positive myocytes and active caspase-3 expression were prominent following ischemia/reperfusion injury. In contrast, abundant Usurpin expression (and a caspase-3 deficit) occurred in surrounding unaffected cardiac tissue, suggesting reciprocal regulation of these pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules in vivo. Usurpin thus appears to be an endogenous modulator of apoptosis sensitivity in mammalian cells, including the susceptibility of cardiac myocytes to apoptotic death following ischemia/ reperfusion injury. (+info)
Expression of genes that regulate Fas signalling and Fas-mediated apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells.
(15/2233)
The expression of genes that regulate Fas-induced apoptosis has been examined in 10 human cultured colon carcinoma cell lines with defined and varied sensitivity to the cytolytic anti-Fas MoAb CH-11. Four lines demonstrated sensitivity to CH-11 (HT29, GC3/c1, TS-, Thy4), and six were resistant to the induction of apoptosis vis Fas. In nine lines expressing Fas, PCR-sequencing indicated that the death domain contained wt sequences. Downstream of Fas, expression of FADD/MORT1 and FLICE, essential components of the DISC, and negative regulators of Fas signalling including sFas, FAP-1 and Bcl-2, showed no correlation between levels of expression and sensitivity to Fas-mediated cytotoxicity. However, levels of the Fas antigen varied by >1000-fold, and correlated with CH-11 sensitivity. Following fourfold elevation in Fas expression in HT29 cells treated with interferon-gamma, a synergistic effect on Fas-mediated apoptosis was obtained when CH-11 and interferon-gamma were combined. (+info)
On the complexities of ceramide changes in cells undergoing apoptosis: lack of evidence for a second messenger function in apoptotic induction.
(16/2233)
The generation of cellular ceramides as a second messenger has been implicated as a regulatory and required step for the induction of apoptosis. In this study, we have applied a recently developed mass spectrometric technique to the determination of changes in physiological ceramide levels during apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor plus cycloheximide in U937 cells and the chemical agents anisomycin or geranylgeraniol in HL-60 cells. The mass spectrometric method has significant advantages over traditional methods for ceramide quantitation in that it determines the relative abundance of all ceramide species present in complex biological lipid mixtures individually and simultaneously. We quantitiated ceramides ranging from C14 to C26, finding that their basal levels and relative distribution varied significantly, both within and between different cell types. However, we were not able to detect any significant changes in either total ceramide content or species distribution until 1 h or more post-stimulation with any of these treatments, by which time the cells were in an advanced stage of apoptosis. Differences were also seen between all three treatments in the ceramide species distribution observed in these late stages of apoptosis. These data indicate that in vivo ceramide generation occurs as a consequence of apoptosis rather than as an essential second messenger involved in its induction. They also pose new questions about the potential roles that certain ceramide species may play in the late stages of apoptosis, and demonstrate a clear need to utilize the resolving power of mass spectrometry-based assays in any future investigations into the biological function of ceramides. (+info)