title: Inhibition of NFkappaB induces caspase-independent cell death in human T lymphocytes.
abstract: Nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) regulates the expression of various genes essential for cell survival. Here we demonstrate that suppression of NFkappaB nuclear import with SN50 peptide carrying the nuclear localization sequence (NLS) of the NFkappaB p50 subunit induces apoptosis in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes (T-PBL), which can be blocked with the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD.fmk. However, even when caspase function is blocked, the addition of SN50 induces irreversible cell loss due to the reduction in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsim) followed by disruption of the cell membrane, hallmarks of necrosis. These observations demonstrate that although inhibition of NFkappaB nuclear translocation by SN50 peptide can induce caspase-dependent apoptosis in T-PBL, cell death may still proceed in the absence of functional caspase activity. The availability of downstream caspases appears to determine the mode of cell death in NFkappaB defective cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Uzzo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dulin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bukowski
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Finke
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kolenko
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010455:Peptides; C118258:SN50 peptide; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D020169:Caspases