title: Suppression of IkappaBalpha expression is necessary for c-Jun N-terminal kinase-mediated enhancement of Fas cytotoxicity.
abstract: The role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the regulation of Fas-mediated cell death was investigated. Murine L929 fibroblasts were pretreated with anisomycin for 1 h to activate JNK, followed by exposure to anti-Fas antibodies/actinomycin D (ActD) for 16-24 h. Compared to untreated controls, the induction of JNK activation failed to raise cellular sensitivity to anti-Fas/ActD killing. Notably, a significant increase in anti-Fas/ActD killing as induced by JNK preactivation was observed in L929 cells which were engineered to suppress IkappaBalpha protein expression by antisense mRNA. Restoration of the IkappaBalpha protein level in these cells by ectopic expression of a cDNA construct abolished the JNK-increased anti-Fas/ActD killing. Despite the suppression of IkappaBalpha, no constitutive p65 (RelA) NF-kappaB nuclear translocation was observed in the IkappaBalpha-antisense cells. Also, inhibition of NF-kappaB by curcumin failed to inhibit the JNK-increased Fas cytotoxicity, suggesting that NF-kappaB is not involved in the observed effect. Most interestingly, culturing of L929 cells on extracellular protein matrices resulted in partial suppression of IkappaBalpha expression and constitutive JNK and p42/44 MAPK activation. Upon stimulation with anisomycin, these matrix protein-stimulated cells further exhibited reduced IkappaBalpha expression and p42/44 MAPK activation, as well as became sensitized to JNK-increased anti-Fas/ActD killing. Again, ectopic expression of IkappaBalpha in these cells abolished the enhanced anti-Fas/ActD killing effect. Together, these results indicate that suppression of IkappaBalpha expression is essential for JNK-mediated enhancement of Fas cytotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Guthrie Research Institute, Guthrie Medical Center, 1 Guthrie Square, Sayre, Pennsylvania 18840, USA. nschang@inet.guthrie.org
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000841:Anisomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016923:Cell Death; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology*; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606205:Nfkbia protein, mouse; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019014:fas Receptor; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D003609:Dactinomycin; D000841:Anisomycin; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases