Activation of DNA-dependent protein kinase may play a role in apoptosis of human neuroblastoma cells

Treating SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells with 1 microM staurosporine resulted in a three- to fourfold higher DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity compared with untreated cells. Time course studies revealed a biphasic effect of staurosporine on DNA-PK activity: an initial increase that peaked by 4 h and a rapid decline that reached approximately 5-10% that of untreated cells by 24 h of treatment. Staurosporine induced apoptosis in these cells as determined by the appearance of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and punctate nuclear morphology. The maximal stimulation of DNA-PK activity preceded significant morphological changes that occurred between 4 and 8 h (40% of total number of cells) and increased with time, reaching 70% by 48 h. Staurosporine had no effect on caspase-1 activity but stimulated caspase-3 activity by 10-15-fold in a time-dependent manner, similar to morphological changes. Similar time-dependent changes in DNA-PK activity, morphology, and DNA fragmentation occurred when the cells were exposed to either 100 microM ceramide or UV radiation. In all these cases the increase in DNA-PK activity preceded the appearance of apoptotic markers, whereas the loss in activity was coincident with cell death. A cell-permeable inhibitor of DNA-PK, OK-1035, significantly reduced staurosporine-induced punctate nuclear morphology and DNA fragmentation. Collectively, these results suggest an intriguing possibility that activation of DNA-PK may be involved with the induction of apoptotic cell death.