title: Potentiation of Fas- and TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by IFN-gamma in A549 lung epithelial cells: enhancement of caspase-8 expression through IFN-response element.
abstract: Epithelial cell apoptosis triggered cooperatively by multiple cytokines contributes to the injury induced by inflammatory responses in the lung and elsewhere. Here we show that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) sensitizes A549 cells, human lung epithelial cells, to cytokine-mediated apoptosis by upregulating caspase-8 expression. Pretreating the cells with IFN-gamma potentiated Fas- and TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced cell death, but other forms of apoptosis, not mediated via receptors, were unaffected. Western blotting and inhibitor assays showed that IFN-gamma selectively increased expression of caspases-7 and -8, but not caspases-2, -3, -9, or -10, as a necessary step leading to apoptosis. Assaying promoter activity using a luciferase reporter gene indicated that an IFN-gamma response element was located in the 5'-flanking region of the caspase-8 gene, spanning positions -227 to -219. Taken together, these findings suggest that IFN-gamma potentiates Fas- and TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by increasing caspase-8 expression via an IFN-gamma response element in A549 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Puk-gu, Kwangju 500-712, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Bae
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: In-Ki
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chul-Woong
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Byung-Ju
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yang-Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yong-Keun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D024506:5' Flanking Region / Q000502:physiology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019014:fas Receptor; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases