title: Expression of the IAPs in multidrug resistant tumor cells.
abstract: We have investigated the expression of the IAPs (inhibitory of apoptosis proteins) in the human HL-60 leukemia and in its multidrug resistant, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) over-expressing variant, HL-60R. HL-60R exhibits resistance to apoptosis induced from P-gp substrate drugs and also from other triggers (cisplatin, TNF-alpha, Fas ligation, TRAIL, IFN-gamma and serum starvation) not related to the multidrug transporter. Except for c-IAP-1 mRNA, HL-60R significantly over-expressed both the mRNAs and the proteins of all the IAPs studied, i.e. c-IAP-1, c-IAP-2, XIAP, NAIP and survivin. Determination of the DNA-binding capacity of NF-kappaB (p50 or p65 subunits) indicated that, while HL-60 cells show constitutive activation of p50 only, HL-60R cells contain the activated forms of both p50 and p65. Since p65 is necessary to form the NF-kappaB heterodimers able to increase transcription, its presence in HL-60R cells might well correlate to their increased levels of IAPs and, possibly of P-gp, which, reportedly, are NF-kappaB target genes. These results underline the possible role that the coordinated over-expression of the different IAPs may play in tumor cell resistance to drug induced apoptosis. Inhibition of NF-kappaB might be a useful strategy to block their up-regulation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche, Università di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, I-90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Notarbartolo
authors.forename: Melchiorre
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cervello
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poma
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dusonchet
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Natale
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger