title: c-Fos degradation by the proteasome. An early, Bcl-2-regulated step in apoptosis.
abstract: c-Fos is a transcription factor that promotes cell growth, differentiation, and transformation. We found that c-Fos was degraded when WEHI7.2 mouse lymphoma cells were induced to undergo apoptosis with the calcium ATPase inhibitor, thapsigargin, or the glucocorticoid hormone, dexamethasone. The degradation of c-Fos preceded caspase-3 activation and apoptotic nuclear chromatin condensation and was inhibited by the proteasome inhibitors MG132, N-acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-norleucinal, and lactacystin. Stable transfection of WEHI7.2 cells with a mutant form of c-Fos that was not degraded by the proteasome inhibited apoptosis. Also, overexpression of Bcl-2 in WEHI7.2 cells blocked c-Fos degradation and inhibited apoptosis. The results indicate that proteasome-mediated degradation of c-Fos is an early, Bcl-2-regulated step in apoptosis induction by thapsigargin and dexamethasone. These findings suggest that c-Fos may have a protective action that is eliminated by proteasome-mediated degradation and preserved by Bcl-2.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grossmann
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Distelhorst
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001483:Base Sequence; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006868:Hydrolysis; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D019284:Thapsigargin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex