title: Cathepsin B contributes to TNF-alpha-mediated hepatocyte apoptosis by promoting mitochondrial release of cytochrome c.
abstract: TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis is thought to involve mediators from acidic vesicles. Cathepsin B (cat B), a lysosomal cysteine protease, has recently been implicated in apoptosis. To determine whether cat B contributes to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis, we exposed mouse hepatocytes to the cytokine in vitro and in vivo. Isolated hepatocytes treated with TNF-alpha in the presence of the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D (AcD) accumulated cat B in their cytosol. Further experiments using cell-free systems indicated that caspase-8 caused release of active cat B from purified lysosomes and that cat B, in turn, increased cytosol-induced release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Consistent with these observations, the ability of TNF-alpha/AcD to induce mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, caspase activation, and apoptosis of isolated hepatocytes was markedly diminished in cells from CatB(-/-) mice. Deletion of the CatB gene resulted in diminished liver injury and enhanced survival after treatment in vivo with TNF-alpha and an adenovirus construct expressing the IkappaB superrepressor. Collectively, these observations suggest that caspase-mediated release of cat B from lysosomes enhances mitochondrial release of cytochrome c and subsequent caspase activation in TNF-alpha-treated hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Medical School, Clinic, and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Guicciardi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deussing
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Bronk
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Svingen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Gores
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000187:drug effects; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003609:Dactinomycin; D020169:Caspases; D002401:Cathepsin B