title: Possible involvement of cytochrome c release and sequential activation of caspases in ceramide-induced apoptosis in SK-N-MC cells.
abstract: Ceramide is characterized as a second messenger of apoptosis induced by various agents such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), Fas ligand, hydrogen peroxide, heat shock and ionizing radiation. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of ceramide-induced apoptosis using a human neuroblastoma cell line, SK-N-MC. N-Acetyl-sphingosine (C2-ceramide), a cell-permeable ceramide analogue, was able to induce apoptosis in SK-N-MC cells as estimated by DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation. C2-ceramide-induced DNA fragmentation was blocked by caspase inhibitor (Z-Asp-CH(2)-DCB). An increase in caspase-3 (CPP32)-like protease activity was evident during C2-ceramide-induced apoptosis, suggesting that caspases are involved in this apoptosis. Moreover, enzymatic cleavage of VDVAD-AFC and LEHD-AFC (specific substrates for caspase-2 and -9, respectively) was increased by treatment with C2-ceramide. To elucidate which types of caspase are activated in C2-ceramide-treated cells, we performed Western blot analysis using antibodies against each isoform. Both proforms of caspase-2 and -3 were decreased in response to C2-ceramide in a time-dependent manner. Mitochondrial cytochrome c is also time-dependently released into the cytosol in response to treatment with C2-ceramide. Addition of cytochrome c into the S-100 fractions prepared from SK-N-MC cells could activate caspase-2 in cell-free systems. These results suggest the possibility that cytochrome c released to the cytosol can activate caspases (caspase-9, -3, and -2) during C2-ceramide-induced apoptosis of SK-N-MC cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tokumitsu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okuma
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002474:Cell-Free System; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C064769:N-acetylsphingosine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D020169:Caspases; D013110:Sphingosine