title: Caspase-8-mediated intracellular acidification precedes mitochondrial dysfunction in somatostatin-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Activation of initiator and effector caspases, mitochondrial changes involving a reduction in its membrane potential and release of cytochrome c (cyt c) into the cytosol, are characteristic features of apoptosis. These changes are associated with cell acidification in some models of apoptosis. The hierarchical relationship between these events has, however, not been deciphered. We have shown that somatostatin (SST), acting via the Src homology 2 bearing tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1, exerts cytotoxic action in MCF-7 cells, and triggers cell acidification and apoptosis. We investigated the temporal sequence of apoptotic events linking caspase activation, acidification, and mitochondrial dysfunction in this system and report here that (i) SHP-1-mediated caspase-8 activation is required for SST-induced decrease in pH(i). (ii) Effector caspases are induced only when there is concomitant acidification. (iii) Decrease in pH(i) is necessary to induce reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, cyt c release and caspase-9 activation and (iv) depletion of ATP ablates SST-induced cyt c release and caspase-9 activation, but not its ability to induce effector caspases and apoptosis. These data reveal that SHP-1-/caspase-8-mediated acidification occurs at a site other than the mitochondrion and that SST-induced apoptosis is not dependent on disruption of mitochondrial function and caspase-9 activation.
authors.affiliation: Fraser Laboratories, Department of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thangaraju
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Halwani
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Srikant
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C506592:APAF1 protein, human; D000143:Acids; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D011506:Proteins; D013004:Somatostatin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases