title: Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta facilitates staurosporine- and heat shock-induced apoptosis. Protection by lithium.
abstract: The potential role of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta in modulating apoptosis was examined in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Staurosporine treatment caused time- and concentration-dependent increases in the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 but not caspase-1, increased proteolysis of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and induced morphological changes consistent with apoptosis. Overexpression of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta to levels 3.5 times that in control cells did not alter basal indices of apoptosis but potentiated staurosporine-induced activation of caspase-3, caspase-9, proteolysis of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and morphological changes indicative of apoptosis. Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta by lithium attenuated the enhanced staurosporine-induced activation of caspase-3 in cells overexpressing glycogen synthase kinase-3beta. In cells subjected to heat shock, caspase-3 activity was more than three times greater in glycogen synthase kinase-3beta-transfected than control cells, and this potentiated response was inhibited by lithium treatment. Thus, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta facilitated apoptosis induced by two experimental paradigms. These findings indicate that glycogen synthase kinase-3beta may contribute to pro-apoptotic-signaling activity, that inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta can contribute to anti-apoptotic-signaling mechanisms, and that the neuroprotective actions of lithium may be due in part to its inhibitory modulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0017, USA.
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Bijur
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Sarno
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Jope
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; D008094:Lithium; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases; D020170:Caspase 1; D019311:Staurosporine