title: Interferon-gamma treatment elevates caspase-8 expression and sensitizes human breast tumor cells to a death receptor-induced mitochondria-operated apoptotic program.
abstract: In this report, we have assessed the role of IFN-gamma as a sensitizing agent in apoptosis mediated by activation of death receptor CD95 in breast tumor cells. Treatment of the tumor cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 with IFN-gamma significantly facilitated apoptosis induced by CD95 receptor ligation at the plasma membrane, independently of p53 status. In contrast, IFN-gamma treatment did not enhance the apoptotic effect of the DNA-damaging drug, doxorubicin. Analysis of apoptosis regulators indicated that caspase-8 mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated in both of the cell lines after treatment with IFN-gamma. Furthermore, IFN-gamma sensitized MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells to CD95-mediated activation of caspase-8, induction of cytochrome c release from mitochondria, and processing of caspase-9. Release of cytochrome c, caspases activation, and apoptosis were prevented in MCF-7 cells overexpressing Bcl-2. Altogether these results indicate that IFN-gamma, maybe through the elevation of caspase-8 levels, sensitizes human breast tumor cells to a death receptor-mediated, mitochondria-operated pathway of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Centificas, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Ruiz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Pinedo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Rivas
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019014:fas Receptor; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases