title: Role of MRIT/cFLIP in protection against chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.
abstract: MRIT (Mach-related inducer of toxicity)/cFLIP (cellular FADD like interlukin1-beta converting enzyme inhibitory protein) is a proteolytically inactive structural homologue of caspase-8, which is known to protect against death receptors-induced apoptosis by blocking the activation of caspase-8. We have observed that exogenous expression of MRITalpha1/cFLIP(L) isoform also protects against cell death induced by a diverse group of chemotherapeutic drugs with different mechanisms of action, including doxorubicin, etoposide, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, chlorambucil and cisplatin. However, MRITalpha1/cFLIP(L) failed to protect against apoptosis induced by paclitaxel and vincristine, two microtubule-damaging agents. Although MRITalpha1/cFLIP(L) protects against chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in both solid tumor and hematopoietic cell lines, this effect was more pronounced in the former. MRITalpha1/cFLIP(L) expression is decreased during drug-induced apoptosis and exogenous expression of MRITalpha1/cFLIP(L) delays the activation of caspase-8 and -3 during drug- induced apoptosis. These results suggest that MRITalpha1/cFLIPL may be an important determinant of both death receptor- and chemotherapy-induced apoptosis and strategies aimed at downregulating its expression deserve further study as a way to overcome multidrug resistance to cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas Texas 75390-8593, USA.
authors.forename: Hittu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matta
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Eby
authors.forename: Adi F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gazdar
authors.forename: Preet M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; C506386:CFLAR protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases