Apoptotic signaling pathway activated by Helicobacter pylori infection and increase of apoptosis-inducing activity under serum-starved conditions.
The enhanced gastric epithelial cell apoptosis observed during infection with Helicobacter pylori has been suggested to be of significance in the etiology of gastritis, peptic ulcers, and neoplasia. To investigate the cell death signaling induced by H. pylori infection, human gastric epithelial cells were incubated with H. pylori for up to 72 h. H. pylori infection induced the activation of caspase -8, -9, and -3 and the expression of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bad and Bid. The peak of the activity of the caspases occurred at 24 h. At this time, the inhibition of caspase-8 or -9 almost completely suppressed H. pylori-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of caspase-8 suppressed the expression of Bad and Bid and the subsequent activation of caspase-9 and -3. These observations indicate that H. pylori induces apoptosis through a pathway involving the sequential induction of apical caspase-8 activity, the proapoptotic proteins Bad and Bid, caspase-9 activity, and effector caspase-3 activity. Activation of the pathway was independent of CagA or vacuolating toxin. A membrane fraction of H. pylori was sufficient to activate this pathway, and treatment with proteinase K eliminated the activity. Apoptotic activity of the membrane fraction was significantly increased by incubating the bacteria under serum-starved conditions for 24 h. These observations suggest that environmental conditions in the human stomach could induce H. pylori-mediated pathogenesis, leading to a variety of clinical outcomes.
Shibayama
K
K
Department of Bacterial and Blood Products, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan. keigo@nih.go.jp
Doi
Y
Y
Shibata
N
N
Yagi
T
T
Nada
T
T
Iinuma
Y
Y
Arakawa
Y
Y
D017209:Apoptosis; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; D001790:Blood Physiological Phenomena; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein
C494819:BAD protein, human; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; C494814:BID protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; C403753:benzyloxycarbonyl-isoleucyl-glutamyl-threonyl-aspartic acid fluoromethyl ketone; C403754:benzyloxycarbonyl-leucyl-glutamyl-histidyl-aspartic acid fluoromethyl ketone; D020169:Caspases