Doxorubicin requires the sequential activation of caspase-2, protein kinase Cdelta, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase to induce apoptosis.

Abstract

Here, we identified caspase-2, protein kinase C (PKC)delta, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) as key components of the doxorubicin-induced apoptotic cascade. Using cells stably transfected with an antisense construct for caspase-2 (AS2) as well as a chemical caspase-2 inhibitor, we demonstrate that caspase-2 is required in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. We also identified PKCdelta as a novel caspase-2 substrate. PKCdelta was cleaved/activated in a caspase-2-dependent manner after doxorubicin treatment both in cells and in vitro. PKCdelta is furthermore required for efficient doxorubicin-induced apoptosis because its chemical inhibition as well as adenoviral expression of a kinase dead (KD) mutant of PKCdelta severely attenuated doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, PKCdelta and JNK inhibition show that PKCdelta lies upstream of JNK in doxorubicin-induced death. Jnk-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) were highly resistant to doxorubicin compared with wild type (WT), as were WT Jurkat cells treated with SP600125, further supporting the importance of JNK in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Chemical inhibitors for PKCdelta and JNK do not synergize and do not function in doxorubicin-treated AS2 cells. Caspase-2, PKCdelta, and JNK were furthermore implicated in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia blasts. The data thus support a sequential model involving caspase-2, PKCdelta, and JNK signaling in response to doxorubicin, leading to the activation of Bak and execution of apoptosis.

• Authors: Theocharis Panaretakis, Edward Laane, Katja Pokrovskaja, Ann-Charlotte Björklund, Aristidis Moustakas, Boris Zhivotovsky, Mats Heyman, Maria C Shoshan, Dan Grandér
• Journal: Molecular biology of the cell (Mol Biol Cell) Vol. 16 Issue 8 Pg. 3821-31 (Aug 2005) ISSN: 1059-1524 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15917298 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Caspase Inhibitors
• Enzyme Inhibitors
• Doxorubicin
• Cytochromes c
• JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
• Caspase 2
• Caspases

Topics

• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Caspase 2
• Caspase Inhibitors
• Caspases (metabolism)
• Cell Line
• Cytochromes c (metabolism)
• Doxorubicin (pharmacology)
• Enzyme Activation (drug effects)
• Enzyme Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Humans
• JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Mutation (genetics)