Arabidopsis sensitivity to protein synthesis inhibitors depends on 26S proteasome activity

The 26S proteasome (26SP), the central protease of the ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis pathway, controls the regulated proteolysis of functional proteins and the removal of misfolded and damaged proteins. In Arabidopsis, cellular and stress response phenotypes of a number of mutants with partially impaired 26SP function have been reported. Here, we describe the responses of proteasome mutants to protein synthesis inhibitors. We show that the rpt2a-3, rpn10-1 and rpn12a-1 mutants are hypersensitive to the antibiotic hygromycin B, and tolerant to the translation inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) and herbicide l-phosphinothricin (PPT). In addition to the novel mechanism for herbicide tolerance, our data suggests that the combination of hygromycin B, CHX and PPT growth-response assays could be used as a facile diagnostic tool to detect altered 26SP function in plant mutants and transgenic lines.     

AP-1-independent sensitization to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis by proteasome inhibitors

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) induces apoptosis of mesangial cells via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-activator protein-1 (AP-1) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-AP-1 pathways. We recently found that subtoxic doses of proteasome inhibitors, MG132 and lactacystin, dramatically enhanced H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis in mesangial cells. In this report, we examined molecular mechanisms involved in this phenomenon, especially focusing on AP-1 pathways. Reporter assays showed that MG132 induced activation of AP-1. However, pharmacological inhibitors of AP-1, retinoic acid, and curcumin, did not suppress the proapoptotic effect of MG132. Suppression of JNK-AP-1 by transfection with either a dominant-negative mutant of JNK or a dominant-negative mutant of c-Jun did not attenuate the apoptosis enhancement by MG132. Similarly, suppression of ERK-AP-1 by PD98059 or dominant-negative mutants of ERK did not affect the apoptosis-promoting effect of MG132. Interestingly, pretreatment with MG132 did not enhance activation of AP-1 by H(2)O(2). These data suggested a novel, AP-1-independent promotion of apoptosis by proteasome inhibitors.     

Caspase activation and apoptosis in response to proteasome inhibitors

Several studies have indicated that proteasome inhibitors (PIs) are promising anticancer agents. We have discovered that PIs have the unique ability to activate effector caspases through a mitochondrial Bcl-2 inhibitable but caspase-9 independent pathway. Stabilization of released Smac induced by blockade of the proteasome could explain the apoptosome-independent cell death induced by PIs. In fact, Smac/DIABLO critically supports this PIs-dependent caspase activation. By using a new assay, we confirm that at a single cell level both Smac and PIs can activate caspases in the absence of the apoptosome. Moreover, we have observed two PIs-induced kinetics of caspase activation, with caspase-9 being still required for the rapid caspase activation in response to mitochondrial depolarization, but dispensable for the slow DEVDase activation. In summary, our data indicate that PIs can activate downstream caspases at least in part through Smac/DIABLO stabilization.     

Specific and prolonged proteasome inhibition dictates apoptosis induction by marizomib and its analogs

Marizomib (NPI-0052) is a naturally derived irreversible proteasome inhibitor that potently induces apoptosis via a caspase-8 and ROS-dependent mechanism in leukemia cells. We aim to understand the relationship between the irreversible inhibition of the proteasome and induction of cell death in leukemia cells by using analogs of marizomib that display reversible and irreversible properties. We highlight the importance of sustained inhibition of at least two proteasome activities as being key permissive events for the induction of the apoptotic process in leukemia cells. These data provide the basis for the development of new approaches to generate more effective anti-proteasome therapies.     

Inducible p27(Kip1) expression inhibits proliferation of K562 cells and protects against apoptosis induction by proteasome inhibitors

Overexpression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) has been demonstrated to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in various cancer cell lines, but has also been associated with the opposite effect of enhanced survival of tumor cells and increased resistance towards chemotherapeutic treatment. To address the question of how p27(Kip1) expression is related to apoptosis induction, we studied doxycycline-regulated p27(Kip1) expression in K562 erythroleukemia cells. p27(Kip1) expression effectively retards proliferation, but it is not sufficient to induce apoptosis in K562 cells. p27(Kip1)-expressing K562 cells, however, become resistant to apoptosis induction by the proteasome inhibitors PSI, MG132 and epoxomicin, in contrast to wild-type K562 cells that are efficiently killed. Cell cycle arrest in the S phase by aphidicolin, which is not associated with an accumulation of p27(Kip1) protein, did not protect K562 cells against the cytotoxic effect of the proteasome inhibitor PSI. The expression levels of p27(Kip1) thus constitute an important parameter, which decides on the overall sensitivity of cells against the cytotoxic effect of proteasome inhibitors.     

Induction and attenuation of neuronal apoptosis by proteasome inhibitors in murine cortical cell cultures

Evidence has accumulated showing that pharmacological inhibition of proteasome activity can both induce and prevent neuronal apoptosis. We tested the hypothesis that these paradoxical effects of proteasome inhibitors depend on the degree of reduced proteasome activity and investigated underlying mechanisms. Murine cortical cell cultures exposed to 0.1 microM MG132 underwent widespread neuronal apoptosis and showed partial inhibition of proteasome activity down to 30-50%. Interestingly, administration of 1-10 microM MG132 almost completely blocked proteasome activity but resulted in reduced neuronal apoptosis. Similar results were produced in cortical cultures exposed to other proteasome inhibitors, proteasome inhibitor I and lactacystin. Administration of 0.1 microM MG132 led to activation of a mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling cascade involving cytochrome c, caspase-9, caspase-3 and degradation of tau protein; such activation was markedly reduced with 10 microM MG132. High doses of MG132 prevented the degradation of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) cIAP and X chromosome-linked IAP, suggesting that complete blockade of proteasome activity interferes with progression of apoptosis. In support of this, addition of high doses of proteasome inhibitors attenuated apoptosis of cortical neurons deprived of serum. Taken together, the present results indicate that inhibition of proteasome activity can induce or prevent neuronal cell apoptosis through regulation of mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathways and IAPs.     

p53-Independent up-regulation of a TRAIL receptor DR5 by proteasome inhibitors: a mechanism for proteasome inhibitor-enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Gliomas are the most common brain tumors in adults and account for more than half of all brain tumors. Despite intensive clinical investigations, average survival for the patients harboring the malignancy has not been significantly improved. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), shown to have potent and cancer-selective killing activity, has drawn considerable attention as a promising anti-cancer therapy. In an attempt to develop TRAIL as an anti-cancer therapy for gliomas, tumor suppressor activity of TRAIL was assessed using human glioma cell lines such as U373MG, U343MG, U87MG and LN18. U343MG, U87MG and LN18 cells were susceptible to TRAIL; however, U373MG cells were completely refractory to TRAIL. Resistance to the applied therapies is a key issue in cancer treatment; thus, various combination treatments were evaluated using U373MG cells to identify a better regimen. Unlike Doxorubicin, Etoposide, Actinomycin D and Wortmannin, a proteasome inhibitor MG132 significantly enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Similarly, other proteasome inhibitors, including Lactacystin, Proteasome inhibitor I and Velcade (Bortezomib), also enhanced apoptotic activity of TRAIL. Among these proteasome inhibitors, Velcade, the only approved drug, was as effective as MG132 in enhancing TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Both Velcade and MG132 increased the protein levels of DR5, a TRAIL receptor known to be up-regulated by p53, in U373MG cells where p53 is mutated. Our data indicate that proteasome inhibitors up-regulate DR5 in a p53-independent manner and a combination therapy comprising TRAIL and Velcade become a better treatment regimen for gliomas.     

Towards the control of intracellular protein turnover: mitochondrial Lon protease inhibitors versus proteasome inhibitors

Cellular protein homeostasis results from the combination of protein biogenesis processes and protein quality control mechanisms, which contribute to the functional state of cells under normal and stress conditions. Proteolysis constitutes the final step by which short-lived, misfolded and damaged intracellular proteins are eliminated. Protein turnover and oxidatively modified protein degradation are mainly achieved by the proteasome in the cytosol and nucleus of eukaryotic cells while several ATP-dependent proteases including the matrix protease Lon take part in the mitochondrial protein degradation. Moreover, Lon protease seems to play a major role in the elimination of oxidatively modified proteins in the mitochondrial matrix. Specific inhibitors are commonly used to assess cellular functions of proteolytic systems as well as to identify their protein substrates. Here, we present and discuss known proteasome and Lon protease inhibitors. To date, very few inhibitors of Lon have been described and no specific inhibitors of this protease are available. The current knowledge on both catalytic mechanisms and inhibitors of these two proteases is first described and attempts to define specific non-peptidic inhibitors of the human Lon protease are presented.     

Inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis by ExFABP gene targeting

Ex-FABP, an extracellular fatty acid binding lipocalin, is physiologically expressed by differentiating chicken chondrocytes and myoblasts. Its expression is enhanced after cell treatment with inflammatory stimuli and repressed by anti-inflammatory agents, behaving as an acute phase protein. Chicken liver fragments in culture show enhanced protein expression after bacterial endotoxin treatment. To investigate the biological role of Ex-FABP, we stably transfected proliferating chondrocytes with an expression vector carrying antisense oriented Ex-FABP cDNA. We observed a dramatic loss of cell viability and a strong inhibition of cell proliferation and differentiation. When chondrocytes were transfected with the antisense oriented Ex-FABP cDNA we observed that Ex-FABP down-modulation increased apoptotic cell number. Myoblasts transfected with the same expression vector showed extensive cell death and impaired myotube formation. We suggest that Ex-FABP acts as a constitutive survival protein and that its expression and activation are fundamental to protect chondrocytes from cell death.     

Inhibition of proteasome activity is involved in cobalt-induced apoptosis of human alveolar macrophages

Inhalation of particulate cobalt has been known to induce interstitial lung disease. There is growing evidence that apoptosis plays a crucial role in physiological and pathological settings and that the ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in the regulation of apoptosis. Cadmium, the same transitional heavy metal as cobalt, has been reported to accumulate ubiquitinated proteins in neuronal cells. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesized that cobalt would induce apoptosis in the lung by disturbance of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. To evaluate this, we exposed U-937 cells and human alveolar macrophages (AMs) to cobalt chloride (CoCl(2)) and examined their apoptosis by DNA fragmentation assay, 4',6-diamidino-2'-phenylindol dihydrochloride staining, and Western blot analysis. CoCl(2) induced apoptosis and accumulated ubiquitinated proteins. Exposure to CoCl(2) inhibited proteasome activity in U-937 cells. Cobalt-induced apoptosis was mediated via mitochondrial pathway because CoCl(2) released cytochrome c from mitochondria. These results suggest that cobalt-induced apoptosis of AMs may be one of the mechanisms for cobalt-induced lung injury and that the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins might be involved in this apoptotic process.     

Ultrarapid caspase-3 dependent apoptosis induction by serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitors

The protein phosphatase (PP) inhibitors nodularin and microcystin-LR induced apoptosis with unprecedented rapidity, more than 50% of primary hepatocytes showing extensive surface budding and shrinkage of cytoplasm and nucleoplasm within 2 min. The apoptosis was retarded by the general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD.fmk. To circumvent the inefficient uptake of microcystin and nodularin into nonhepatocytes, toxins were microinjected into 293 cells, Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts, promyelocytic IPC-81 cells, and NRK cells. All cells started to undergo budding typical of apoptosis within 0.5 - 3 min after injection. This was accompanied by cytoplasmic and nuclear shrinkage and externalization of phosphatidylserine. Overexpression of Bcl-2 did not delay apoptosis. Apoptosis induction was slower and Z-VAD.fmk independent in caspase-3 deficient MCF-7 cells. MCF-7 cells stably transfected with caspase-3 showed a more rapid and Z-VAD.fmk dependent apoptotic response to nodularin. Rapid apoptosis induction required inhibition of both PP1 and PP2A, and the apoptosis was preceded by increased phosphorylation of several proteins, including myosin light chain. The protein phosphorylation occurred even in the presence of apoptosis-blocking concentrations of Z-VAD.fmk, indicating that it occurred upstream of caspase activation. It is suggested that phosphatase-inhibiting toxins can induce caspase-3 dependent apoptosis in an ultrarapid manner by altering protein phosphorylation.     

Cell-specific inhibition of paramyxovirus maturation by proteasome inhibitors

Effects of proteasome inhibitors on the replication of a paramyxovirus in comparison with the effects on replication of an orthomyxovirus and rhabdovirus were investigated. Treatment of Sendai virus (SeV)-infected LLC-MK2 cells with 50 microM MG132 reduced virus growth to ca. 1/10,000, and treatment with different concentrations of MG132 reduced virus growth in a dose-dependent manner. Released amounts of viral proteins were reduced in correspondence with decrease in infectivity. The inhibition of virus maturation was confirmed by an SeV-like particle formation system. Lactacystin also impaired SeV growth and zLL impaired the growth to a lesser extent, suggesting involvement of proteasomes in the restriction of virus growth. In the presence of MG132, localizations of the M protein and viral F and HN glycoproteins on the cell membrane appeared to be partly dissociated, although the viral glycoproteins were normally transported to the cell surface. These results suggest that an early step of SeV assembly was disturbed by proteasome inhibitors. The relationship of the results with ubiquitin is also discussed. SeV maturation was less susceptible and resistant to MG132 in CV1 cells and A549 cells, respectively, indicating cell specificity of the drug effect. Release of vesicular stomatitis virus also showed high susceptibility to MG132 and release of influenza virus A/WSN/33 was only mildly susceptible to the drug in LLC-MK2 cells. Effects of proteasome inhibitors on virus maturation are thus highly cell-specific and partly virus-specific.     

Inhibition of zinc absorption by iron depends on their ratio

Previous studies upon zinc-iron interactions gave conflicting results that could come from differences in protocol design or in trace element status of subjects. The present work assessed the influence of zinc : iron ratio and iron deficiency upon zinc absorption. The digestive absorption of zinc sulphate (100 mol Zn/l) in presence of iron gluconate was studied in perfused jejunal loops (n = 6/group) of normal rats (range 0–1000 mol Fe/l) and iron deficient rats (200–750 mol Fe/l). In normal rats no significant iron inhibition on zinc absorption occurred at Fe:Zn ratio below 2:1. At higher ratios zinc uptake and net absorption decreased significantly (p<0.05). Between 2:1 and 5:1 a dose dependent inhibition of zinc absorption occurred and reached a plateau beyond this ratio. In iron deficient animals no changes in zinc uptake, mucosal retention and absorption compared to normal animals occurred at ratio 2:1. At higher ratios differences were observed at every zinc absorption step except for mucosal retention at 7.5:1 ratio.

Iron-zinc interactions depend on their ratio and on previous trace elements status of subjects. Due to the wide and unknown variations that were likely to occur between the subjects of previous human and experimental studies, these results could explain some of the discrepancies between their results.     

Autophagy induction rescues toxicity mediated by proteasome inhibition

The ubiquitin-proteasome and macroautophagy-lysosome pathways are major routes for intracytosolic protein degradation. In many systems, proteasome inhibition is toxic. A Nature article by Pandey et al. shows that this toxicity can be modulated by altering autophagic activity. Their tantalizing results suggest that overexpression of HDAC6 may increase flux through the autophagy pathway, thereby attenuating the toxicity resulting from proteasome inhibition.     

Ghrelin induces apoptosis in colon adenocarcinoma cells via proteasome inhibition and autophagy induction

Ghrelin is a metabolism-regulating hormone recently investigated for its role in cancer survival and progression. Controversially, ghrelin may act as either anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic factor in different cancer cells, suggesting that the effects are cell type dependent. Limited data are currently available on the effects exerted by ghrelin on intracellular proteolytic pathways in cancer. Both the lysosomal and the proteasomal systems are fundamental in cellular proliferation and apoptosis regulation. With the aim of exploring if the proteasome and autophagy may be possible targets of ghrelin in cancer, we exposed human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells to ghrelin. Preliminary in vitro fluorimetric assays evidenced for the first time a direct inhibition of 20S proteasomes by ghrelin, particularly evident for the trypsin-like activity. Moreover, 1 μM ghrelin induced apoptosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma cells by inhibiting the ubiquitin–proteasome system and by activating autophagy, with p53 having an “interactive” role.