title: Activation of JNK by vanadate induces a Fas-associated death domain (FADD)-dependent death of cerebellar granule progenitors in vitro.
abstract: Apoptosis is a highly regulated process that plays a critical role in neuronal development as well as the homeostasis of the adult nervous system. Vanadate, an environmental toxicant, causes developmental defects in the central nervous system. Here, we demonstrated that vanadate induced apoptosis in cultured cerebellar granule progenitors (CGPs). Treatment of cultured CGPs with vanadate activated ERKs and JNKs but not p38 MAPK and also induced c-Jun phosphorylation. In addition, vanadate induced FasL production, Fas (CD95) aggregation, and its association with the Fas-associated death domain (FADD), as well as the activation of caspase-8. Furthermore, vanadate generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in CGPs; however, ROS was not involved in vanadate-mediated MAPK activation. Vanadate-induced FasL expression was ROS-dependent but JNK-independent. In contrast, vanadate-elicited Fas aggregation and Fas-FADD association, as well as caspase-8 activation, were dependent on JNK activation but were minimally regulated by ROS generation. The hydrogen peroxide scavenger, catalase, blocked vanadate-induced FasL expression and partially mitigated vanadate-induced cell death. On the other hand, dominant negative FADD and caspase-8 inhibitor completely eliminated vanadate-induced apoptosis. Thus, JNK signaling plays a major role in vanadate-mediated activation of the Fas-FADD-caspase-8 pathway that accounts for vanadate-induced apoptosis of CGPs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Robert C. Byrd Health Science Center, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA. jluo@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yanbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: Chuanshu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xianglin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053200:Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000633:toxicity*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014638:Vanadates / Q000633:toxicity*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C505535:Fadd protein, rat; D053200:Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D019014:fas Receptor; D014638:Vanadates; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases