Lithium enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human lung carcinoma A549 cells

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells are resistant to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis. Therefore, combination therapy using sensitizing agents to overcome TRAIL resistance may provide new strategies for treatment of NSCLC. Here, we investigated whether lithium chloride (LiCl), a drug for mental illness, could sensitize A549 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. We observed that LiCl significantly enhanced A549 cells apoptosis through up-regulation of death receptors DR4 and DR5 and activation of caspase cascades. In addition, G2/M arrest induced by LiCl also contributed to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Concomitantly, LiCl strongly inhibited the activity of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), and the inhibition of JNKs by SP600125 also induced G2/M arrest and augmented cell death caused by TRAIL or TRAIL plus LiCl. However, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) inhibition was not involved in TRAIL sensitization induced by LiCl. Collectively, these findings indicated that LiCl sensitized A549 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through caspases-dependent apoptotic pathway via death receptors signaling and G2/M arrest induced by inhibition of JNK activation, but independent of GSK3β.     

MAPK p38 and JNK have opposing activities on TRAIL-induced apoptosis activation in NSCLC H460 cells that involves RIP1 and caspase-8 and is mediated by Mcl-1

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) can induce both caspase-dependent apoptosis and kinase activation in tumor cells. Here, we examined the consequences and mechanisms of TRAIL-induced MAPKs p38 and JNK in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. In apoptosis sensitive H460 cells, these kinases were phosphorylated, but not in resistant A549 cells. Time course experiments in H460 cells showed that induction of p38 phosphorylation preceded that of JNK. To explore the function of these kinases in apoptosis activation by TRAIL, chemical inhibitors or siRNAs were employed to impair JNK or p38 functioning. JNK activation counteracted TRAIL-induced apoptosis whereas activation of p38 stimulated apoptosis. Notably, the serine/threonine kinase RIP1 was cleaved following TRAIL treatment, concomitant with detectable JNK phosphorylation. Further examination of the role of RIP1 by short hairpin (sh)RNA-dependent knockdown or inhibition by necrostatin-1 showed that p38 can be phosphorylated in both RIP1-dependent and -independent manner, whereas JNK phosphorylation occurred independent of RIP1. On the other hand JNK appeared to suppress RIP1 cleavage via an unknown mechanism. In addition, only the activation of JNK by TRAIL was caspase-8-dependent. Finally, we identified Mcl-1, a known substrate for p38 and JNK, as a downstream modulator of JNK or p38 activity. Collectively, our data suggest in a subset of NSCLC cells a model in which TRAIL-induced activation of p38 and JNK have counteracting effects on Mcl-1 expression leading to pro- or anti-apoptotic effects, respectively. Strategies aiming to stimulate p38 and inhibit JNK may have benefit for TRAIL-based therapies in NSCLC.     

Snake venom toxin from Vipera lebetina turanica sensitizes cancer cells to TRAIL through ROS- and JNK-mediated upregulation of death receptors and downregulation of survival proteins

We investigated whether snake venom toxin (SVT) from Vipera lebetina turanica enhances the apoptosis ability of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in cancer cells. TRAIL inhibited HCT116 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner; however, this reduction did not occur in TRAIL resistant HT-29, A549 and HepG2 cells with an even higher dose of TRAIL. SVT, but not TRAIL enhanced expression of cell death receptor (DR) in TRAIL resistant cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. A combination of SVT with TRAIL significantly inhibited cell growth of TRAIL resistant HT-29, A549 and HepG2 cells. Consistent with cell growth inhibition, the expression of TRAIL receptors; DR4 and DR5 was significantly increased as well as apoptosis related proteins such as cleaved caspase-3, -8, -9 and Bax. However, the expression of survival proteins (e.g., cFLIP, survivin, XIAP and Bcl2) was suppressed by the combination treatment of SVT and TRAIL. Depletion of DR4 or DR5 by small interfering RNA significantly reversed the cell growth inhibitory and apoptosis blocking effects of SVT in HCT116 and HT-29 cells. Pretreatment with the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger N-acetylcysteine reduced the SVT and TRAIL-induced upregulation of DR4 and DR5 expression, expression of the apoptosis related protein such as caspase-3 and-9, as well as cell growth inhibitory effects. The collective results suggest that SVT facilitates TRAIL-induced apoptosis in cancer cells through up-regulation of the TRAIL receptors; DR4 and DR5 via ROS/JNK pathway signals.     

Hypoxia inhibition of apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)

Hypoxia is a common environmental stress. Particularly, the center of rapidly growing solid tumors is easily exposed to hypoxic conditions. Thus, tumor cell response to hypoxia plays an important role in tumor progression as well as tumor therapy. However, little is known about hypoxic effect on apoptotic cell death. To examine the effects of hypoxia on TRAIL-induced apoptosis, human lung carcinoma A549 cells were exposed to hypoxia and treated with TRAIL protein. Hypoxia significantly protected A549 cells from apoptosis induced by TRAIL. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that hypoxia increased expression of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and IAP family members. The increase of these antiapoptotic molecules is believed to play an hypoxia-mediated protective role in TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Our findings suggest that an increase of antiapoptotic proteins induced by hypoxia may regulate the therapeutic activity of TRAIL protein in cancer therapy.     

Gossypol Induces Death Receptor-5 through Activation of the ROS-ERK-CHOP Pathway and Sensitizes Colon Cancer Cells to TRAIL

Development of resistance to TRAIL, an apoptosis-inducing cytokine, is one of the major problems in its development for cancer treatment. Thus, pharmacological agents that are safe and can sensitize the tumor cells to TRAIL are urgently needed. We investigated whether gossypol, a BH3 mimetic that is currently in the clinic, can potentiate TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Intracellular esterase activity, sub-G₁ cell cycle arrest, and caspase-8, -9, and -3 activity assays revealed that gossypol potentiated TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. Gossypol also down-regulated cell survival proteins (Bcl-x_L, Bcl-2, survivin, XIAP, and cFLIP) and dramatically up-regulated TRAIL death receptor (DR)-5 expression but had no effect on DR4 and decoy receptors. Gossypol-induced receptor induction was not cell type-specific, as DR5 induction was observed in other cell types. Deletion of DR5 by siRNA significantly reduced the apoptosis induced by TRAIL and gossypol. Gossypol induction of the death receptor required the induction of CHOP, and thus, gene silencing of CHOP abolished gossypol-induced DR5 expression and associated potentiation of apoptosis. ERK1/2 (but not p38 MAPK or JNK) activation was also required for gossypol-induced TRAIL receptor induction; gene silencing of ERK abolished both DR5 induction and potentiation of apoptosis by TRAIL. We also found that reactive oxygen species produced by gossypol treatment was critical for TRAIL receptor induction and apoptosis potentiation. Overall, our results show that gossypol enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis through the down-regulation of cell survival proteins and the up-regulation of TRAIL death receptors through the ROS-ERK-CHOP-DR5 pathway.     

Gefitinib enhances human colon cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis of via autophagy- and JNK-mediated death receptors upregulation

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a potent cancer cell-specific apoptosis-inducing cytokine with little toxicity to most normal cells. Here, we report that gefitinib and TRAIL in combination produce a potent synergistic effect on TRAIL-sensitive human colon cancer HCT116 cells and an additive effect on TRAIL-resistant HT-29 cells. Interestingly, gefitinib increases the expression of cell surface receptors DR4 and DR5, possibly explaining the synergistic effect. Knockdown of DR4 and DR5 by siRNA significantly decreases gefitinib- and TRAIL-mediated cell apoptosis, supporting this idea. Because the inhibition of gefitinib-induced autophagy by 3-MA significantly decreases DR4 and DR5 upregulation, as well as reduces gefitinib- and TRAIL-induced apoptosis, we conclude that death receptor upregulation is autophagy mediated. Furthermore, our results indicate that death receptor expression may also be regulated by JNK activation, because pre-treatment of cells with JNK inhibitor SP600125 significantly decreases gefitinib-induced death receptor upregulation. Interestingly, SP600125 also inhibits the expression CHOP, yet CHOP has no impact on death receptor expressions. We also find here that phosphorylation of Akt and ERK might also be required for TRAIL sensitization. In summary, our results indicate that gefitinib effectively enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis, likely via autophagy and JNK- mediated death receptor expression and phosphorylation of Akt and ERK.     

Essential role for the ATG4B protease and autophagy in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Autophagy is a critical cellular homeostatic process that controls the turnover of damaged organelles and proteins. Impaired autophagic activity is involved in a number of diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis suggesting that altered autophagy may contribute to fibrogenesis. However, the specific role of autophagy in lung fibrosis is still undefined. In this study, we show for the first time, how autophagy disruption contributes to bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in vivo using an Atg4b-deficient mouse as a model. Atg4b-deficient mice displayed a significantly higher inflammatory response at 7 d after bleomycin treatment associated with increased neutrophilic infiltration and significant alterations in proinflammatory cytokines. Likewise, we found that Atg4b disruption resulted in augmented apoptosis affecting predominantly alveolar and bronchiolar epithelial cells. At 28 d post-bleomycin instillation Atg4b-deficient mice exhibited more extensive and severe fibrosis with increased collagen accumulation and deregulated extracellular matrix-related gene expression. Together, our findings indicate that the ATG4B protease and autophagy play a crucial role protecting epithelial cells against bleomycin-induced stress and apoptosis, and in the regulation of the inflammatory and fibrotic responses.     

Celastrol, a Triterpene, Enhances TRAIL-induced Apoptosis through the Down-regulation of Cell Survival Proteins and Up-regulation of Death Receptors

Whether celastrol, a triterpene from traditional Chinese medicine, can modulate the anticancer effects of TRAIL, the cytokine that is currently in clinical trial, was investigated. As indicated by assays that measure plasma membrane integrity, phosphatidylserine exposure, mitochondrial activity, and activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3, celastrol potentiated the TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells, and converted TRAIL-resistant cells to TRAIL-sensitive cells. When examined for its mechanism, we found that the triterpene down-regulated the expression of cell survival proteins including cFLIP, IAP-1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, survivin, and XIAP and up-regulated Bax expression. In addition, we found that celastrol induced the cell surface expression of both the TRAIL receptors DR4 and DR5. This increase in receptors was noted in a wide variety of cancer cells including breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer cells, and myeloid and leukemia cells. Gene silencing of the death receptor abolished the effect of celastrol on TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Induction of the death receptor by the triterpenoid was found to be p53-independent but required the induction of CAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), inasmuch as gene silencing of CHOP abolished the induction of DR5 expression by celastrol and associated enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. We found that celastrol also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and ROS sequestration inhibited celastrol-induced expression of CHOP and DR5, and consequent sensitization to TRAIL. Overall, our results demonstrate that celastrol can potentiate the apoptotic effects of TRAIL through down-regulation of cell survival proteins and up-regulation of death receptors via the ROS-mediated up-regulation of CHOP pathway.     

AKT/mTOR and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathways are required for chrysotile asbestos-induced autophagy

Chrysotile asbestos is closely associated with excess mortality from pulmonary diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Although multiple mechanisms in which chrysotile asbestos fibers induce pulmonary disease have been identified, the role of autophagy in human lung epithelial cells has not been examined. In this study, we evaluated whether chrysotile asbestos induces autophagy in A549 human lung epithelial cells and then analyzed the possible underlying molecular mechanism. Chrysotile asbestos induced autophagy in A549 cells based on a series of biochemical and microscopic autophagy markers. We observed that asbestos increased expression of A549 cell microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3-II), an autophagy marker, in conjunction with dephosphorylation of phospho-AKT, phospho-mTOR, and phospho-p70S6K. Notably, AKT1/AKT2 double-knockout murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) had negligible asbestos-induced LC3-II expression, supporting a crucial role for AKT signaling. Chrysotile asbestos also led to the phosphorylation/activation of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK. Pharmacologic inhibition of JNK, but not p38 MAPK, dramatically inhibited the protein expression of LC3-II. Moreover, JNK2^−/− MEFs but not JNK1^−/− MEFs blocked LC3-II levels induced by chrysotile asbestos. In addition, N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, attenuated chrysotile asbestos-induced dephosphorylation of P-AKT and completely abolished phosphorylation/activation of JNK. Finally, we demonstrated that chrysotile asbestos-induced apoptosis was not affected by the presence of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or autophagy-related gene 5 siRNA, indicating that the chrysotile asbestos-induced autophagy may be adaptive rather than prosurvival. Our findings demonstrate that AKT/mTOR and JNK2 signaling pathways are required for chrysotile asbestos-induced autophagy. These data provide a mechanistic basis for possible future clinical applications targeting these signaling pathways in the management of asbestos-induced lung disease.     

IFN-gamma enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis through IRF-1.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF family and a potent inducer of apoptosis. TRAIL has been shown to effectively limit tumor growth in vivo without detectable cytotoxic side-effects. Interferon (IFN)-gamma often modulates the anticancer activities of TNF family members including TRAIL. However, little is known about the mechanism. To explore the mechanism, A549, HeLa, LNCaP, Hep3B and HepG2 cells were pretreated with IFN-gamma, and then exposed to TRAIL. IFN-gamma pretreatment augmented TRAIL-induced apoptosis in all these cell lines. A549 cells were selected and further characterized for IFN-gamma action in TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Western blotting analyses revealed that IFN-gamma dramatically increased the protein levels of interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1, but not TRAIL receptors (DR4 and DR5) and pro-apoptotic (FADD and Bax) and anti-apoptotic factors (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, cIAP-1, cIAP-2 and XIAP). To elucidate the functional role of IRF-1 in IFN-gamma-enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis, IRF-1 was first overexpressed by using an adenoviral vector AdIRF-1. IRF-1 overexpression minimally increased apoptotic cell death, but significantly enhanced apoptotic cell death induced by TRAIL when infected cells were treated with TRAIL. In further experiments using an antisense oligonucleotide, a specific repression of IRF-1 expression abolished enhancer activity of IFN-gamma for TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Therefore, our data indicate that IFN-gamma enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis through IRF-1.     

肺上皮细胞自噬体在结核分枝杆菌感染中保护作用的分子机制

目的：构建Atg5．真核表达载体并瞬时转染肺上皮细胞细胞株,探讨自噬在结核分枝杆菌感染上皮细胞中保护作用的分子机制。方法：设计针对Atg5的RNAi序列,化学合成后经过变性,退火连接到pSilencerTM3．1-H1hygro真核表达载体,经测序验证其正确性。脂质体法瞬时转染真核细胞A549,免疫印迹法检测瞬时转染的效果。用结核分枝杆菌分别感染正常和自噬表达低下的A549细胞．通过检测LDH来观察细胞的坏死情况。结果：成功的构建了pSilencerTM3．1-H1hygro真核表达载体并建瞬时转染了A549细胞株,成功抑制了细胞的自噬功能。Atg5-细胞对结核杆菌的抵抗能力下降。结论：在自噬表达低下的细胞中,细胞对结核分枝杆菌的抵抗能力有明显下降。在结核分枝杆菌感染上皮细胞的过程中,自噬是一种保护机制。     

Identification of modulators of TRAIL-induced apoptosis via RNAi-based phenotypic screening

New opportunities in mammalian functional genomics are emerging through the combination of high throughput technology and methods that allow manipulation of gene expression in living cells. Here we describe the application of an RNAi-based forward genomics approach toward understanding the biology and mechanism of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. TRAIL is a TNF superfamily member that induces selective cytotoxicity of tumor cells when bound to its cognate receptors. In addition to detecting well-characterized genes in the apoptosis pathway, we uncover several modulators including DOBI, a gene required for progression of the apoptotic signal through the intrinsic mitochondrial cell death pathway, and MIRSA, a gene that acts to limit TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Moreover, our data suggest a role for MYC and the WNT pathway in maintaining susceptibility to TRAIL. Collectively, these observations offer several insights on how TRAIL mediates the selective killing of tumor cells and demonstrate the utility of large-scale RNAi screens in mammalian cells.     

Ursolic acid, a pentacyclin triterpene, potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis through p53-independent up-regulation of death receptors: evidence for the role of reactive oxygen species and JNK

Discovery of the molecular targets of traditional medicine and its chemical footprints can validate the use of such medicine. In the present report, we investigated the effect of ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in rosemary and holy basil, on apoptosis induced by TRAIL. We found that UA potentiated TRAIL-induced apoptosis in cancer cells. In addition, UA also sensitized TRAIL-resistant cancer cells to the cytokine. When we investigated the mechanism, we found that UA down-regulated cell survival proteins and induced the cell surface expression of both TRAIL receptors, death receptors 4 and 5 (DR4 and -5). Induction of receptors by UA occurred independently of cell type. Gene silencing of either receptor by small interfering RNA reduced the apoptosis induced by UA and the effect of TRAIL. In addition, UA also decreased the expression of decoy receptor 2 (DcR2) but not DcR1. Induction of DRs was independent of p53 because UA induced DR4 and DR5 in HCT116 p53(-/-) cells. Induction of DRs, however, was dependent on JNK because UA induced JNK, and its pharmacologic inhibition abolished the induction of the receptors. The down-regulation of survival proteins and up-regulation of the DRs required reactive oxygen species (ROS) because UA induced ROS, and its quenching abolished the effect of the terpene. Also, potentiation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis by UA was significantly reduced by both ROS quenchers and JNK inhibitor. In addition, UA was also found to induce the expression of DRs, down-regulate cell survival proteins, and activate JNK in orthotopically implanted human colorectal cancer in a nude mouse model. Overall, our results showed that UA potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis through activation of ROS and JNK-mediated up-regulation of DRs and down-regulation of DcR2 and cell survival proteins.     

Quercetin sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through JNK-mediated cFLIP turnover

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising anticancer agent that can selectively kill cancer cells. Nonetheless, many cancers are resistant to TRAIL, and the molecular mechanisms of TRAIL resistance in cancer, particularly pancreatic cancer, are still unclear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that quercetin, a flavonoid, induces apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. Although quercetin alone had no significant cytotoxic effect, when combined with TRAIL, it promoted TRAIL-induced apoptosis that required mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. A BH3-only protein BID knockdown dramatically attenuated TRAIL/quercetin-induced apoptosis. The expression levels of cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein (cFLIP) decreased in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of quercetin, and overexpression of cFLIP was able to robustly rescue pancreatic cancer cells from TRAIL/quercetin-induced apoptosis. Additionally, quercetin activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in a dose-dependent manner, which in turn induced the proteasomal degradation of cFLIP, and JNK activation also sensitized pancreatic cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Thus, our results suggest that quercetin induces TRAIL-induced apoptosis via JNK activation-mediated cFLIP turnover.     

Regulation of Akt by EGF-R inhibitors,a possible mechanism of EGF-R inhibitor-enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a type II transmembrane cytokine and a potent inducer of apoptosis. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling is well known to involve in tumor survival and overexpression of EGF receptor (EGF-R) attributes to decreased responsiveness to many available therapies in cancer treatment. We investigated whether EGF-R inhibitors enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis. We exposed A549 cells to Genistein, PD153035, and PD158780 for 12h and then treated with recombinant TRAIL protein. TRAIL alone induced 25% cell death after a 3-h treatment, but in cells pretreated with EGF-R inhibitors, TRAIL induced cell death to more than 70% after 3h treatment. Genistein enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Western blot analyses showed that pretreatment with Genistein down-regulated the protein levels of total Akt and phosphorylated active Akt. Genistein also decreased the protein level of Bcl-XL that is regulated by Akt. These molecules are well characterized to act against induction of apoptotic cell death. Therefore, our data suggest that EGF-R inhibitor may sensitize A549 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by regulating expression of these proteins. EGF-R inhibitors may play an important role in the anti-cancer activity of TRAIL protein, especially in TRAIL-resistant tumors that arise by expressing constitutively active Akt.     

Formoxanthone C,isolated from Cratoxylum formosum ssp. pruniflorum, reverses anticancer drug resistance by inducing both apoptosis and autophagy in human A549 lung cancer cells

Multidrug resistance (MDR) cancer toward cancer chemotherapy is one of the obstacles in cancer therapy. Therefore, it is of interested to use formoxanthone C (1,3,5,6-tetraoxygenated xanthone; XanX), a natural compound, which showed cytotoxicity against MDR human A549 lung cancer (A549RT-eto). The treatment with XanX induced not only apoptosis- in A549RT-eto cells, but also autophagy-cell death. Inhibition of apoptosis did not block XanX-induced autophagy in A549RT-eto cells. Furthermore, suppression of autophagy by beclin-1 small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) did not interrupt XanX-induced apoptosis, indicating that XanX can separately induce apoptosis and autophagy. Of interest, XanX treatment reduced levels of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) protein overexpressed in A549RT-etocells. The co-treatment with XanX and HDAC4 siRNA accelerated both autophagy and apoptosis more than that by XanX treatment alone, suggesting survival of HDAC4 in A549RT-eto cells. XanX reverses etoposide resistance in A549RT-eto cells by induction of both autophagy and apoptosis, and confers cytotoxicity through down-regulation of HDAC4.     

The Herbal Compound Cryptotanshinone Restores Sensitivity in Cancer Cells That Are Resistant to the Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) selectively induces apoptosis and kills cancer cells but not normal cells. However, TRAIL resistance due to low level of TRAIL receptor expression is widely found in cancer cells and hampers its development for cancer treatment. Thus, the agents that can sensitize the tumor cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis are urgently needed. We investigated whether tanshinones, the major bioactive compounds of Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen), can up-regulate TRAIL receptor expression. Among the major tanshinones being tested, cryptotanshinone (CT) showed the best ability to induce TRAIL receptor 2 (DR5) expression. We further showed that CT was capable of promoting TRAIL-induced cell death and apoptosis in A375 melanoma cells. CT-induced DR5 induction was not cell type-specific, as DR5 induction was observed in other cancer cell types. DR5 knockdown abolished the enhancing effect of CT on TRAIL responses. Mechanistically, induction of the DR5 by CT was found to be p53-independent but dependent on the induction of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-homologous protein (CHOP). Knockdown of CHOP abolished CT-induced DR5 expression and the associated potentiation of TRAIL-mediated cell death. In addition, CT-induced ROS production preceded up-regulation of CHOP and DR5 and consequent sensitization of cells to TRAIL. Interestingly, CT also converted TRAIL-resistant lung A549 cancer cells into TRAIL-sensitive cells. Taken together, our results indicate that CT can potentiate TRAIL-induced apoptosis through up-regulation of DR5.     

Characterization of a novel autophagy-specific gene, ATG29

Autophagy is a process whereby cytoplasmic proteins and organelles are sequestered for bulk degradation in the vacuole/lysosome. At present, 16 ATG genes have been found that are essential for autophagosome formation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Most of these genes are also involved in the cytoplasm to vacuole transport pathway, which shares machinery with autophagy. Most Atg proteins are colocalized at the pre-autophagosomal structure (PAS), from which the autophagosome is thought to originate, but the precise mechanism of autophagy remains poorly understood. During a genetic screen aimed to obtain novel gene(s) required for autophagy, we identified a novel ORF, ATG29/YPL166w. atg29Delta cells were sensitive to starvation and induction of autophagy was severely retarded. However, the Cvt pathway operated normally. Therefore, ATG29 is an ATG gene specifically required for autophagy. Additionally, an Atg29-GFP fusion protein was observed to localize to the PAS. From these results, we propose that Atg29 functions in autophagosome formation at the PAS in collaboration with other Atg proteins.     

cFLIPL prevents TRAIL-induced apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inhibiting the lysosomal pathway of apoptosis

Sensitivity to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis and the lysosomal pathway of cell death are features of cancer cells. However, it is unknown if TRAIL cytotoxic signaling engages the lysosomal pathway of cell death. Our aim, therefore, was to ascertain if TRAIL killing involves lysosomal permeabilization. TRAIL-induced apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HuH-7, Hep3B) was associated with lysosomal permeabilization, as demonstrated by redistribution of the lysosomal protease cathepsin B into the cytosol. Pharmacological and short hairpin RNA-targeted inhibition of cathepsin B reduced apoptosis. Because cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP) inhibits TRAIL-induced cell death and is frequently overexpressed by human cancers, the ability of cFLIP to prevent lysosomal permeabilization during TRAIL treatment was examined. Enforced long-form cFLIP (cFLIP(L)) expression reduced release of cathepsin B from lysosomes and attenuated apoptosis. cFLIP(L) overexpression was also associated with robust p42/44 MAPK activation following exposure to TRAIL. In contrast, cFLIP(L) overexpression attenuated p38 MAPK activation and had no significant effect on JNK and NF-kappaB activation. Inhibition of p42/44 MAPK by PD98059 restored TRAIL-mediated lysosomal permeabilization and apoptosis in cFLIP-overexpressing cells. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that lysosomal permeabilization contributes to TRAIL-induced apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and suggest that cFLIP(L) cytoprotection is, in part, due to p42/44 MAPK-dependent inhibition of lysosomal breakdown.