title: MAPK signaling is involved in camptothecin-induced cell death.
abstract: Camptothecin, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is a well-known anticancer drug. However, its mechanism has not been well studied in human gastric cancer cell lines. Camptothecin induced apoptotic cell death in human gastric cancer cell line AGS. Z-VAD-fmk, pan-caspase inhibitor, blocked apoptotic phenotypes induced by camptothecin suggesting that caspases are involved in camptothecin-induced cell death. An inhibitor of caspase-6 or -8 or -9 did not prevent cell death by camptothecin. Various protease inhibitors failed to prevent camptothecin-induced cell death. These results suggest that only few caspases are involved in camptothecin-induced cell death. Camptothecin induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK, in a dose and time-dependent manner in AGS. Z-VAD-fmk did not affect MAPK signaling induced by camptothecin suggesting that caspase signaling occurs downstream of MAPK signaling. Blocking of p38 MAPK, but not ERK1/2, resulted in partial inhibition of cell death and PARP cleavage by camptothecin in AGS. Taken together, MAPK signaling is associated with apoptotic cell death by camptothecin.
authors.affiliation: In2Gen Company, Seoul National University Cancer Research Center, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Seongeun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho-Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myungin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Dae-Yeon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yung-Jue
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Hae-Nyun
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yun-Sil
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Hae-Yeong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Doo-Il
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Jeoung
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D002166:Camptothecin