Apo2 ligand/TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and death receptor 5 mediate the apoptotic signaling induced by ionizing radiation in leukemic cells.
Ionizing radiation is a major tool for cancer treatment. The response of eukaryotic cells to ionizing radiation includes apoptosis, a process which requires activation of multiple genes. We sought to determine whether radiation-induced gene expression plays a role in radiation-induced apoptosis. We found Apo2 ligand (Apo2L, also called TRAIL) mRNA induction following gamma-irradiation of Jurkat, MOLT-4, CEM, and PBMC, all human T lineage-derived cells. Increased Apo2L protein levels were found in MOLT-4 and Jurkat cells. Radiation also activated the Apo2L death receptor (DR)5 (also called Apo2, TRAIL-R2, or KILLER) in MOLT-4 cells, which harbor a wild-type p53. We isolated 1152 bp of 5' flanking region of the Apo2L gene and a shorter fragment of 716 bp, both of which showed promoter activity driving the expression of a luciferase reporter gene; however, the response to radiation in MOLT-4 cells was lost when only 430 bp of 5' proximal flanking sequence was maintained. Exogenous Apo2L induced phosphatidylserine exposure on cell membranes, caspase 8 and caspase 3 activation, key markers of apoptosis, confirming that the Apo2L/DR5 pathway is functional in these cells. Bid, a Bcl-2 family protein also known to contribute to receptor-mediated apoptosis, was also activated. To determine whether Apo2L and DR5 were critical for radiation signaling to apoptosis, we stably expressed a dominant negative DR5delta-receptor in Jurkat cells. Cell survival was significantly augmented, indicating that increased Apo2L expression contributed to radiation-induced apoptosis. Clonogenic assays demonstrated that purified, recombinant soluble Apo2L enhanced the lethality of low, therapeutic doses (1-2 Gy) of gamma-irradiation. These data suggest that production of Apo2L may cooperate synergistically with the cytotoxic effect of radiation, and that combinations of Apo2L and radiation may become a powerful tool in clinical therapy.
Gong
B
B
Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195, USA.
Almasan
A
A
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; C494814:BID protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505639:TNFRSF10B protein, human; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases