title: Intracellular K+ suppresses the activation of apoptosis in lymphocytes.
abstract: Little is known about the mechanisms of suppression of apoptosis. We have addressed the novel possibility that the level of intracellular K+ regulates the apoptotic process by controlling the activity of death enzymes. We show that K+, at normal intracellular levels, inhibits both apoptotic DNA fragmentation and caspase-3(CPP32)-like protease activation, suggesting that intracellular K+ loss must occur early during apoptosis. Direct measurement of K+ by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry and flow cytometry indicates a major decrease in intracellular K+ concentration in the apoptotic cell. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that caspase and nuclease activity were restricted to the subpopulation of cells with reduced K+. Disruption of the natural K+ electrochemical gradient suppressed the activity of both caspase and nuclease independent of the mode of activation of the apoptotic inducing agent, demonstrating that a decrease in intracellular K+ concentration is a necessary, early event in programmed cell death.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Signal Transduction, NIEHS, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. Cidlowski@niehs.nih.gov
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bortner
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cidlowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000502:physiology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D009707:Nucleosomes; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D011188:Potassium