title: Modulation of caspase-8 and FLICE-inhibitory protein expression as a potential mechanism of Epstein-Barr virus tumorigenesis in Burkitt's lymphoma.
abstract: Ligation of the Fas receptor induces death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) formation, caspase activation, and subsequent apoptotic death of several cell types. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive group III Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines have a marked resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis, although expressing each of the DISC components, Fas/ APO-1-associated death domain protein (FADD), and caspase-8 (FLICE/MACH/Mch5). The apoptotic pathway distal to the DISC is intact because ceramide analogs, staurosporine, and granzyme B activate caspase-3 and induce apoptosis. Fas resistance was not explained by the putative death-attenuating caspase-8 isoforms. However, while Fas-activated cytosolic extracts from sensitive cells were capable of processing both procaspase-8 and procaspase-3 into active subunit forms, resistant cell extracts did not possess either of these activities. Accordingly, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed higher transcript levels for the FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP(L)) in resistant cells and the ratio of caspase-8 to FLIP(L) measured by competition RT-PCR analysis directly correlated with susceptibility to Fas-mediated apoptosis of all cell lines. In addition, modification of the caspase-8/FLIP(L) ratio by caspase-8 or FLIP(L) overexpression was able to alter the susceptibility status of the cell lines tested. Our results imply that the relative levels of caspase-8 and FLIP(L) are an important determinant of susceptibility to Fas-mediated apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Rowe Program in Genetics, Departments of Biological Chemistry and Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Tepper
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Seldin
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; C506386:CFLAR protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019014:fas Receptor; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases