title: Granule-mediated killing: pathways for granzyme B-initiated apoptosis.
abstract: We report that the serine protease granzyme B (GrB), which is crucial for granule-mediated cell killing, initiates apoptosis in target cells by first maturing caspase-10. In addition, GrB has a limited capacity to mature other caspases and to cause cell death independently of the caspases. Compared with other members, GrB in vitro most efficiently processes caspase-7 and -10. In a human cell model, full maturation of caspase-7 does not occur unless caspase-10 is present. Furthermore, GrB matured caspase-3 with less efficiency than caspase-7 or caspase-10. With the caspases fully inactivated by peptidic inhibitors, GrB induced in Jurkat cells growth arrest and, over a delayed time period, cell death. Thus, the primary mechanism by which GrB initiates cell death is activation of the caspases through caspase-10. However, under circumstances where caspase-10 is absent or dysfunctional, GrB can act through secondary mechanisms including activation of other caspases and direct cell killing by cleavage of noncaspase substrates. The redundant functions of GrB ensure the effectiveness of granule-mediated cell killing, even in target cells that lack the expression or function (e.g., by mutation or a viral serpin) of one or more of the caspases, providing the host with overlapping safeguards against aberrantly replicating, nonself or virally infected cells.
authors.affiliation: BASF Bioresearch Corporation, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Talanian
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turbov
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghayur
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Casiano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Orth
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Froelich
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D020169:Caspases; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D053804:Granzymes; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; C509213:GZMB protein, human; D053804:Granzymes; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505520:CASP7 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases