title: Functional screening of genes suppressing TRAIL-induced apoptosis: distinct inhibitory activities of Bcl-XL and Bcl-2.
abstract: TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is known to selectively induce apoptosis in various tumour cells. However, downstream-signalling of TRAIL-receptor is not well defined. A functional genetic screening was performed to isolate genes interfering with TRAIL-induced apoptosis using cDNA retroviral library. Bcl-X(L) and FLIP were identified after DNA sequencing analysis of cDNA rescued from TRAIL-resistant clones. We found that increased expression of Bcl-X(L), but not Bcl-2, suppressed TRAIL-induced apoptosis in tumour cells. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses showed that expression of Bcl-X(L), but not Bcl-2, was highly increased in human breast cancer tissues. Exposure of MDA-MB-231 breast tumour cells to TRAIL induced apoptosis accompanied by dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential and enzymatic activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9. However, SK-BR-3 breast tumour cells exhibiting increased expression level of Bcl-X(L) were resistant to TRAIL, though upon exposure to TRAIL, caspase-8 and Bid were activated. Forced expression of Bcl-X(L), but not Bcl-2, desensitised TRAIL-sensitive MDA-MB-231 cells to TRAIL. Similar inhibitory effects were also observed in other tumour cells such as HeLa and Jurkat cells stably expressing Bcl-X(L), but not Bcl-2. These results are indicative of the crucial and distinct function of Bcl-X(L) and Bcl-2 in the modulation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Korea.
authors.forename: I-K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y-K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: D-Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Y-S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: B-H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Y-K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D015723:Gene Library; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008928:Mitochondria; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor