title: [Involvement of ICE/CED 3 family proteases in antitumor agent-induced apoptosis].
abstract: Some chemotherapeutic agents, as well as TNF and Fas, induce apoptotic cell death in tumor cells, but the cellular components involved in the process have not yet been identified. Interleukin 1 beta converting enzyme (ICE) is a mammalian homolog of CED-3, a protein required for programmed cell death in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that a selective inhibitor of ICE/ced 3 family proteases, benzyloxycarbonyl Asp CH2OC(O) 2 6,-dichlorobenzene (Z-Asp-CH2-DCB). completely blocked the apoptotic cell death of human leukemia cells caused by etoposide, camptothecin, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl cytosine (Ara-C) and adriamycin. Moreover, in antitumor agent-treated U937 cells, an ICE-like (CPP32-like) protease was strongly activated. These results indicate that ICE/ ced 3 family proteases are involved in antitumor agent-induced apoptosis. Activation of ICE family proteases plays a key role in apoptosis. However, the subsequent mechanisms resulting in apoptosis are largely unknown. We identified actin as a substrate of ICE family proteases. Cleavage of actin and other substrate proteins by ICE family proteases could be critical in the ongoing process of antitumor agent-induced apoptosis in tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mashima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuruo
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020170:Caspase 1; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003561:Cytarabine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003513:Cycloheximide; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D020170:Caspase 1; D002166:Camptothecin