Nicotine suppresses tunicamycin-induced, but not thapsigargin-induced, expression of GRP78 during ER stress-mediated apoptosis in PC12 cells

We previously reported that nicotine protected against tunicamycin (Tm)-induced ER stress-mediated apoptosis, but not thapsigargin (Tg)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. In the present study, we report that the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) was suppressed by nicotine in Tm-treated PC12 cells. Interestingly, the GRP78 expression was not changed by nicotine in Tg-treated cells. Moreover, nicotine reduced the activation of caspase-12 in Tm-treated cells, but not in Tg-treated cells. These results suggest that nicotine prevented Tm-induced ER stress-mediated apoptosis by attenuating an early stage of Tm-induced ER stress. It was possible that the suppression of GRP78 expression by nicotine was achieved through the suppression of the Ire1-XBP1 and/or ATF6 pathways. We observed that nicotine suppressed the Tm-induced, but not Tg-induced, splicing of XBP1 mRNA, and also suppressed the Tm-induced, but not Tg-induced, production of cleaved ATF6 in PC12 cells. These results indicate that the suppression of Ire1-XBP1 and ATF6 pathways contributes to the suppression of GRP78 expression by nicotine in Tm-treated PC12 cells, suggesting that nicotine suppresses a common step upstream of both the Ire1-XBP1 and ATF6 pathways which are required for the expression of GRP78 during Tm-induced ER stress.     

Sustained IRE1 and ATF6 signaling is important for survival of melanoma cells undergoing ER stress

Apoptosis triggered by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with rapid attenuation of the IRE1α and ATF6 pathways but persistent activation of the PERK branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in cells. However, melanoma cells are largely resistant to ER stress-induced apoptosis, suggesting that the kinetics and durations of activation of the UPR pathways are deregulated in melanoma cells undergoing ER stress. We show here that the IRE1α and ATF6 pathways are sustained along with the PERK signaling in melanoma cells subjected to pharmacological ER stress, and that this is, at least in part, due to increased activation of the MEK/ERK pathway. In contrast to an initial increase followed by rapid reduction in activation of IRE1α and ATF6 signaling in control cells that were relatively sensitive to ER stress-induced apoptosis, activation of IRE1α and ATF6 by the pharmacological ER stress inducer tunicamycin (TM) or thapsigargin (TG) persisted in melanoma cells. On the other hand, the increase in PERK signaling lasted similarly in both types of cells. Sustained activation of IRE1α and ATF6 signaling played an important role in protecting melanoma cells from ER stress-induced apoptosis, as interruption of IRE1α or ATF6 rendered melanoma cells sensitive to apoptosis induced by TM or TG. Inhibition of MEK partially blocked IRE1α and ATF6 activation, suggesting that MEK/ERK signaling contributed to sustained activation of IRE1α and ATF6. Taken together, these results identify sustained activation of the IRE1α and ATF6 pathways of the UPR driven by the MEK/ERK pathway as an important protective mechanism against ER stress-induced apoptosis in melanoma cells.     

Treadmill exercise represses neuronal cell death and inflammation during Aβ-induced ER stress by regulating unfolded protein response in aged presenilin 2 mutant mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the deposition of aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ), which triggers a cellular stress response called the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR signaling pathway is a cellular defense system for dealing with the accumulation of misfolded proteins but switches to apoptosis when endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is prolonged. ER stress is involved in neurodegenerative diseases including AD, but the molecular mechanisms of neuronal apoptosis and inflammation by Aβ-induced ER stress to exercise training are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that treadmill exercise (TE) prevented PS2 mutation-induced memory impairment and reduced Aβ-42 deposition through the inhibition of β-secretase (BACE-1) and its product, C-99 in cortex and/or hippocampus of aged PS2 mutant mice. We also found that TE down-regulated the expression of GRP78/Bip and PDI proteins and inhibited activation of PERK, eIF2α, ATF6α, sXBP1 and JNK-p38 MAPK as well as activation of CHOP, caspase-12 and caspase-3. Moreover, TE up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and down-regulated the expressions of Bax in the hippocampus of aged PS2 mutant mice. Finally, the generation of TNFα and IL-1α and the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the hippocampus of aged PS2 mutant mice was also prevented or decreased by TE. These results showed that TE suppressed the activation of UPR signaling pathways as well as inhibited the apoptotic pathways of the UPR and inflammatory response following Aβ-induced ER stress. Thus, therapeutic strategies that modulate Aβ-induced ER stress through TE could represent a promising approach for the prevention or treatment of AD.     

Role of the unfolded protein response in cell death

Unfolded protein response (UPR) is an important genomic response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The ER chaperones, GRP78 and Gadd153, play critical roles in cell survival or cell death as part of the UPR, which is regulated by three signaling pathways: PERK/ATF4, IRE1/XBP1 and ATF6. During the UPR, accumulated unfolded protein is either correctly refolded, or unsuccessfully refolded and degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. When the unfolded protein exceeds a threshold, damaged cells are committed to cell death, which is mediated by ATF4 and ATF6, as well as activation of the JNK/AP-1/Gadd153-signaling pathway. Gadd153 suppresses activation of Bcl-2 and NF-κB. UPR-mediated cell survival or cell death is regulated by the balance of GRP78 and Gadd153 expression, which is coregulated by NF-κB in accordance with the magnitude of ER stress. Less susceptibility to cell death upon activation of the UPR may contribute to tumor progression and drug resistance of solid tumors.     

Endoplasmic reticulum chaperone protein GRP78 protects cells from apoptosis induced by topoisomerase inhibitors: role of ATP binding site in suppression of caspase-7 activation

A large number of correlative studies have established that the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) alters the cell's sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Although the induction of the glucose-regulated proteins (GRPs) is commonly used as an indicator for the UPR, the direct role of the GRPs in conferring resistance to DNA damaging agents has not been proven. We report here that without the use of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducers, specific overexpression of GRP78 results in reduced apoptosis and higher colony survival when challenged with topoisomerase II inhibitors, etoposide and doxorubicin, and topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin. While investigating the mechanism for the GRP78 protective effect against etoposide-induced cell death, we discovered that in contrast to the UPR, GRP78 overexpression does not result in G1 arrest or depletion of topoisomerase II. Caspase-7, an executor caspase that is associated with the ER, is activated by etoposide. We show here that specific expression of GRP78 blocks caspase-7 activation by etoposide both in vivo and in vitro, and this effect can be reversed by addition of dATP in a cell-free system. Recently, it was reported that ectopically expressed GRP78 and caspases-7 and -12 form a complex, thus coupling ER stress to the cell death program. However, the mechanism of how GRP78, a presumably ER lumen protein, can regulate cytosolic effectors of apoptosis is not known. Here we provide evidence that a subpopulation of GRP78 can exist as an ER transmembrane protein, as well as co-localize with caspase-7, as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. Co-immunoprecipitation studies further reveal endogenous GRP78 constitutively associates with procaspase-7 but not with procaspase-3. Lastly, a GRP78 mutant deleted of its ATP binding domain fails to bind procaspase-7 and loses its protective effect against etoposide-induced apoptosis.     

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis in autoimmune cardiomyopathy: mediated via endoplasmic reticulum stress and exaggerated by norepinephrine

Evidence suggests that the autoimmune cardiomyopathy produced by a peptide corresponding to the sequence of the second extracellular loop of the beta(1)-adrenergic receptor (beta(1)-EC(II)) is mediated via a biologically active anti-beta(1)-EC(II) antibody, but the mechanism linking the antibody to myocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction has not been well elucidated. Since the beta(1)-EC(II) autoantibody is a partial beta(1)-agonist, we speculate that the cardiomyopathy is produced by the beta(1)-receptor-mediated stimulation of the CaMKII-p38 MAPK-ATF6 signaling pathway and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and that excess norepinephrine (NE) exaggerates the cardiomyopathy. Rabbits were randomized to receive beta(1)-EC(II) immunization, sham immunization, NE pellet, or beta(1)-EC(II) immunization plus NE pellet for 6 mo. Heart function was measured by echocardiography and catheterization. Myocyte apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxytransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and caspase-3 activity, whereas CaMKII, MAPK family (JNK, p38, ERK), and ER stress signals (ATF6, GRP78, CHOP, caspase-12) were measured by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and kinase activity assay. beta(1)-EC(II) immunization produced progressive LV dilation, systolic dysfunction, and myocyte apoptosis. These changes were associated with activation of GRP78 and CHOP and increased cleavage of caspase-12, as well as increased CaMKII activity, increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, and nucleus translocation of cleaved ATF6. NE pellet produced additive effects. In addition, KN-93 and SB 203580 abolished the induction of ER stress and cell apoptosis produced by the beta(1)-EC(II) antibody in cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes. Thus ER stress occurs in autoimmune cardiomyopathy induced by beta(1)-EC(II) peptide, and this is enhanced by increased NE and caused by activation of the beta(1)-adrenergic receptor-coupled CaMKII, p38 MAPK, and ATF6 pathway.     

Crocin and Quercetin protect HCT116 and HEK293 cells from Zearalenone-induced apoptosis by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress

Mycotoxins are considered to be significant contaminants of food and animal feed. Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by several species of Fusarium in cereals and agricultural products. ZEN has been shown to be cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic in different cell types. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in ZEN-mediated toxicity in human intestine (HCT116) and kidney (HEK293) cells and evaluated the effects of the two common dietary compounds Quercetin (QUER) and Crocin (CRO). We show that ZEN treatment induces ER stress and activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) as evidenced by XBP1 mRNA splicing and upregulation of GRP78, ATF4, GADD34, PDIA6, and CHOP. Activation of the ER stress response is associated with activation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. This apoptotic process is characterized by an increase in ROS generation and lipid peroxidation, a loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm), and an activation of caspases and DNA damages. We also demonstrate that the antioxidant properties of QUER and CRO help to prevent ER stress and reduce ZEN-induced apoptosis in HCT116 and HEK293 cells. Our results suggest that antioxidant molecule might be helpful to prevent ZEN-induced ER stress and toxicity.     

Taxol-induced unfolded protein response activation in breast cancer cells exposed to hypoxia: ATF4 activation regulates autophagy and inhibits apoptosis

Understanding the mechanisms responsible for the resistance against chemotherapy-induced cell death is still of great interest since the number of patients with cancer increases and relapse is commonly observed. Indeed, the development of hypoxic regions as well as UPR (unfolded protein response) activation is known to promote cancer cell adaptive responses to the stressful tumor microenvironment and resistance against anticancer therapies. Therefore, the impact of UPR combined to hypoxia on autophagy and apoptosis activation during taxol exposure was investigated in MDA–MB-231 and T47D breast cancer cells. The results showed that taxol rapidly induced UPR activation and that hypoxia modulated taxol-induced UPR activation differently according to the different UPR pathways (PERK, ATF6, and IRE1α). The putative involvement of these signaling pathways in autophagy or in apoptosis regulation in response to taxol exposure was investigated. However, while no link between the activation of these three ER stress sensors and autophagy or apoptosis regulation could be evidenced, results showed that ATF4 activation, which occurs independently of UPR activation, was involved in taxol-induced autophagy completion. In addition, an ATF4-dependent mechanism leading to cancer cell adaptation and resistance against taxol-induced cell death was evidenced. Finally, our results demonstrate that expression of ATF4, in association with hypoxia-induced genes, can be used as a biomarker of a poor prognosis for human breast cancer patients supporting the conclusion that ATF4 might play an important role in adaptation and resistance of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy in hypoxic tumors.     

HSP105 interacts with GRP78 and GSK3 and promotes ER stress-induced caspase-3 activation

Stress of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress) is caused by the accumulation of misfolded proteins, which occurs in many neurodegenerative diseases. ER stress can lead to adaptive responses or apoptosis, both of which follow activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Heat shock proteins (HSP) support the folding and function of many proteins, and are important components of the ER stress response, but little is known about the role of one of the major large HSPs, HSP105. We identified several new partners of HSP105, including glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3), a promoter of ER stress-induced apoptosis, and GRP78, a key component of the UPR. Knockdown of HSP105 did not alter UPR signaling after ER stress, but blocked caspase-3 activation after ER stress. In contrast, caspase-3 activation induced by genotoxic stress was unaffected by knockdown of HSP105, suggesting ER stress-specificity in the apoptotic action of HSP105. However, knockdown of HSP105 did not alter cell survival after ER stress, but instead diverted signaling to a caspase-3-independent cell death pathway, indicating that HSP105 is necessary for apoptotic signaling after UPR activation by ER stress. Thus, HSP105 appears to chaperone the responses to ER stress through its interactions with GRP78 and GSK3, and without HSP105 cell death following ER stress proceeds by a non-caspase-3-dependent process.