title: Proteasome inhibitor-induced apoptosis of B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells involves cytochrome c release and caspase activation, accompanied by formation of an approximately 700 kDa Apaf-1 containing apoptosome complex.
abstract: Proteasome inhibitors, including lactacystin and MG132 (carbobenzoxyl-leucinyl-leucinyl-leucinal), potently induce apoptosis in leukaemic B cells from patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). This pro-apoptotic effect occurs in cells from patients at all stages of the disease, including those resistant to conventional chemotherapy, suggesting that proteasome inhibitors may be useful for treatment of B-CLL. Following initial inhibition of proteasomal activity, these agents induce mitochondrial cytochrome c release and caspase-dependent apoptosis, involving cleavage/activation of caspases -2, -3, -7, -8 and -9. Pre-treatment with the cell permeable caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp (OMe)fluoromethyl ketone (Z-VAD.fmk), did not prevent the release of cytochrome c or partial processing of caspase-9 but prevented activation of effector caspases and the induction of apoptosis. These results suggest that the release of cytochrome c is caspase independent and that caspase-9 is the initiator caspase in proteasome inhibitor-induced apoptosis of B-CLL cells. Activation of B-CLL lysates with dATP results in the formation of an approximately 700 kDa caspase-activating apoptosome complex containing Apaf-1. We describe for the first time the formation of a similar approximately 700 kDa caspase-activating apoptosome complex in B-CLL cells induced to undergo apoptosis by proteasome inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Almond
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Snowden
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dinsdale
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C506592:APAF1 protein, human; D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D007976:Leupeptins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D011506:Proteins; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; C067713:lactacystin; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; C072553:benzyloxycarbonylleucyl-leucyl-leucine aldehyde; D000111:Acetylcysteine