title: Requirement of BAX for efficient adenovirus-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Infection of human epithelial cells with adenoviruses induces an apoptosis paradigm that is efficiently suppressed by the expression of viral E1B-19K protein, which is a functional homolog of the cellular antiapoptosis protein BCL-2. The mechanisms of adenovirus (Ad)-induced apoptosis appear to involve the cellular BCL-2 family proapoptotic proteins. Recent genetic studies with fibroblasts derived from mutant mouse embryos indicate that a class of the BCL-2 family proapoptotic proteins (designated BH-123 or multidomain proteins) such as BAX and BAK constitutes an essential component of the core apoptosis machinery in animal cells. We have examined the role of BAX in Ad-induced apoptosis in human epithelial cells using two colon cancer cell lines, HCT116Bax (Bax(+/-)) and HCT116BaxKO (Bax(-/-)) (L. Zhang, J. Yu, B. H. Park, K. W. Kinzler, and B. Vogelstein, Science 290:989-992, 2000). Infection of Bax(+/-) cells with an Ad type 2 mutant (dl250) defective in expression of the E1B-19K protein resulted in enhanced cytopathic effect, large plaques on cell monolayers, fragmentation of cellular DNA, and enhanced cell death. These mutant phenotypes were not efficiently expressed in Bax(-/-) cells, suggesting that BAX is essential for Ad-induced apoptosis. Infection of Bax(+/-) cells with dl250 induced increased levels of an N-terminally processed form of BAX. Cells infected with the 19K mutant also contained enhanced levels of truncated BAX in membrane-inserted form. Our results suggest that at least a part of the mechanism utilized by E1B-19K to suppress apoptosis during Ad infection may involve modulation of the activities of BAX.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Virology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lomonosova
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chinnadurai
mesh_terms: D017501:Adenovirus E1B Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014779:Virus Replication; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: D017501:Adenovirus E1B Proteins; C494826:BAX protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein