title: Differential apoptotic response to the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib [VELCADE, PS-341] in Bax-deficient and p21-deficient colon cancer cells.
abstract: Targeting the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway has emerged as a promising approach for treating cancer. Bortezomib (VELCADE, formerly known as PS-341), a potent and reversible proteasome inhibitor, is being evaluated in clinical trials for treating multiple myeloma, and various other types of hematologic and solid tumors. Proteasome inhibitors are known to induce apoptosis in human cancer cells. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of apoptosis induced by proteasome inhibitors remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of p53 and its downstream targets in bortezomib-induced apoptosis in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. We demonstrated that bortezomib induced p53, and activated its downstream genes p21, PUMA and Bax in a p53-dependent fashion. However, apoptotic response to bortezomib was not affected by the deletion of p53. Surprisingly, we found that bortezomib-induced apoptosis was markedly enhanced in the p21-knockout cells, while significantly decreased in the BAX-knockout cells. Furthermore, in the cells deficient for both Bax and p21, apoptosis was restored to the level in the parental or the p53-deficient cells. The opposite effects of Bax and p21 were unrelated to the extent of proteasome inhibition, and were also observed in cells treated with different proteasome inhibitors. These results indicate that p53 downstream targets can collectively modulate apoptotic response to bortezomib and other proteasome inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Hillman Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15213, USA. yuj2@msx.upmc.edu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Sagarika
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001897:Boronic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000069286:Bortezomib; D020169:Caspases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000172:deficiency*; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000235:genetics; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000172:deficiency*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D001897:Boronic Acids; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D007976:Leupeptins; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011719:Pyrazines; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C063261:acetylleucyl-leucyl-norleucinal; C067713:lactacystin; D000069286:Bortezomib; D020169:Caspases; D000111:Acetylcysteine