A novel 29-kDa crystal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis induces caspase activation and cell death of jurkat T cells

Bacillus thuringiensis, the most successful and most widely used microbial insecticide, produces crystal proteins. The physiological significance of the crystal proteins is poorly understood except for the potent insecticidal activity. In this paper, we report a novel biological activity of the crystal protein. A 29-kDa crystal protein, p29, produced by B. thuringiensis subsp. coreanensis A1519, was toxic to Jurkat, a cell line from human leukemic T cells. Upon treatment of the Jurkat cells with p29 at a lower concentration, translocation of phosphatidylserine to the external cell surface, release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO from the mitochondria, and activation of caspase-9 were induced. These cellular events were followed by activation of caspase-3, cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and chromatin condensation. Peak activation of caspase-9 was prominent and preceded that of caspase-8. Depletion of Bax from the cytosol was observed as the progress of p29-induced cell death. At a higher concentration of p29, the cells showed similar and accelerated morphological change, but neither externalized phosphatidylserine nor caspase-3 activation was observed. These results suggest that p29 at the lower concentration induced cell death of Jurkat accompanied by apotosis-like cellular events, and that mitochondria played a major role in p29-induced cell death.