title: Neutralization of TRAIL death pathway protects human neuronal cell line from beta-amyloid toxicity.
abstract: Here we report that a novel member of the TNF-alpha family, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), contributes substantially to amyloid-induced neurotoxicity in human SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line. Involvement of TRAIL in the amyloid-induced cell death is supported by cDNA array, Northern blot, and Western blot data, demonstrating increased TRAIL expression after treatment of the cells with a neurotoxic fragment of amyloid protein (betaAP). TRAIL was also found to be released in the culture media after betaAP treatment with a time-course overlapping to contents of the intracellular protein. Contribution of TRAIL to betaAP neurotoxicity is demonstrated by data showing that TRAIL-neutralizing monoclonal antibody protects neuronal SH-SY5Y cells from betaAP neurotoxicity. Moreover, exposure of neuronal SH-SY5Y cells to TRAIL leads to cell death, indicating that this substance per se is endowed with neurotoxic properties. We also found that, similarly to betaAP and TRAIL, activation of the death-domain adaptor protein FADD results in neuronal cell death. Lack of FADD function, by overexpression of its dominant negative, rescued cells from either TRAIL- or betaAP-induced neurotoxicity, supporting the hypothesis that these three molecules share common intracellular pathways. Finally, we found that betaAP strongly activated caspase-8, and the cell-permeable, selective caspase-8 inhibitor z-IETD-FMK prevents both betaAP- and TRAIL-induced neurotoxicity. In view of TRAIL's potency in inducing neuronal death, and its role as mediator of betaAP, it is plausible to hypothesize that TRAIL can be regarded as a molecule that provides substantial contribution to betaAP-dependent cell death, which takes part in the progression of the neurodegenerative process and related chronic inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cantarella
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uberti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carsana
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernardini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Memo
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D053200:Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; C505533:FADD protein, human; D053200:Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C403753:benzyloxycarbonyl-isoleucyl-glutamyl-threonyl-aspartic acid fluoromethyl ketone; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases