Caspase-8 promotes cell motility and calpain activity under nonapoptotic conditions.
Significant caspase-8 activity has been found in normal and certain tumor cells, suggesting that caspase-8 possesses an alternative, nonapoptotic function that may contribute to tumor progression. In this article, we report that caspase-8 promotes cell motility. In particular, caspase-8 is required for the optimal activation of calpains, Rac, and lamellipodial assembly. This represents a novel nonapoptotic function of caspase-8 acting at the intersection of the caspase-8 and calpain proteolytic pathways to coordinate cell death versus cell motility signaling.
Helfer
Brooke
B
Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA.
Boswell
Bernard C
BC
Finlay
Darren
D
Cipres
Angel
A
Vuori
Kristiina
K
Bong Kang
Tae
T
Wallach
David
D
Dorfleutner
Andrea
A
Lahti
Jill M
JM
Flynn
Daniel C
DC
Frisch
Steven M
SM
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002154:Calpain / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D053181:Caspase 8; D020169:Caspases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout
D002154:Calpain; C505526:Casp8 protein, mouse; D053181:Caspase 8; D020169:Caspases