title: The apoptosis pathway triggered by the interferon-induced protein kinase PKR requires the third basic domain, initiates upstream of Bcl-2, and involves ICE-like proteases.
abstract: The interferon-induced double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) is a serine/threonine kinase which exerts antiviral and anticellular functions. The antiviral effect of PKR is mediated by the phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of the translational initiation factor elF-2 alpha, while it is not known whether the anticellular effect is due to phosphorylation of elF-2 alpha, l kappa B, or other unknown substrates. We have previously shown that activation of PKR during infection of cells with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the wild-type kinase resulted in a complete inhibition of viral and cellular protein synthesis and in the induction of apoptosis. Here, we report that expression of the human proto-oncogene bcl-2 blocks PKR-induced apoptosis but not PKR-induced inhibition of translation. In addition, PKR-induced apoptosis resulted in a cleavage of the death substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Moreover, induction of apoptosis by PKR was not observed with a mutant lacking the third basic region (aa 234-272). Taken together, these results suggest that the third basic region of PKR is required for PKR-induced apoptosis, the process is initiated upstream of bcl-2 and involves activation of a cellular protease, CPP32, or its family members that cleave PARP.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esteban
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001665:Binding Sites; D020170:Caspase 1; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000378:metabolism*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D019892:eIF-2 Kinase
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D007372:Interferons; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019892:eIF-2 Kinase; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D020170:Caspase 1