title: Interferon-alpha induces apoptosis in human KB cells through a stress-dependent mitogen activated protein kinase pathway that is antagonized by epidermal growth factor.
abstract: We have demonstrated that interferon-alpha2-recombinant (IFNalpha) at growth inhibitory concentrations enhances the expression and signalling activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in human epidermoid carcinoma KB cells. Here we report that KB cells exposed to IFNalpha underwent apoptotic cell death and this effect was antagonized by EGF. We have also found that IFNalpha enhanced the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) HSP-70, HSP-90 and HSP-27 and activated the NH2-terminal Jun kinase-1 (JNK-1) and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase, the target enzymes of a stress-dependent intracellular transduction pathway. Moreover, the overexpression of the wild-type JNK-1, obtained through plasmid transfection of KB cells, induced apoptosis which was potentiated by the exposure of wild-type JNK-1 (JNK-1wt)-transfected cells to IFNalpha. All these effects were neutralized by the addition of EGF to parental and JNK-1wt-transfected KB cells exposed to IFNalpha. In conclusion, EGF has a protective effect on KB cells from apoptosis while antagonizing a stress response elicited by IFNalpha and targeted on the stress pathway terminal kinases.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biofisica 'F. Cedrangolo', Il Università di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caraglia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbruzzese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pepe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budillon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baldassare
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selleri
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabbrocini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giuberti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lupoli
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tagliaferri
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases